Older People at Risk for Medication Errors

Medication errors are preventable incidents that can lead to physical harm for those patients or consumers who incur them. These errors can be made in prescribing, in compounding, dispensing, administering, and monitoring. They can be made by patients themselves, by nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and other health care providers. They can occur in a patient's home, in clinics, and hospitals. The FDA regularly receives reports of medication errors from pharmaceutical companies as well as through its adverse event reporting system, submitted by those who experience an unexpected or dangerous reaction from a medication.

Administration of an incorrect dose of a drug is one of the most common medication errors, according to the FDA. An FDA study of fatalities in patients connected with an improper drug dose revealed that this error accounted for 41 percent of the deaths studied. This error may consist of giving a patient the wrong medication or administering a medicine in an incorrect manner, such as through a vein. Close to half of those patients who died from these types of medication errors were over the age of 60. Because people in this age group generally take the most medications of any age group, their risk for injury or death from medication errors is the highest.

Legal Options for Victims of Medication Errors

Those who suffer health damage or injury due to a medication error may be eligible to file a personal injury claim for damages. Discussing your case with an experienced attorney is the first step. Knowles Law Firm, PLC provides caring and experienced legal representation for clients in and around Tempe, Arizona who have been harmed through such errors. The firm has years of experience in evaluating, analyzing, investigating, and building injury claim cases seeking rightful compensation to those who have been damaged through negligence.

If you or a loved one has been harmed in this way, contact the firm to schedule a free consultation with an attorney who can help you seek justice through dedicated legal guidance.