Washington, D.C. Prescription Error Lawyer

According to the most recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), almost 50 percent of Americans use at least one type of prescription drug in any given month. People trust their doctors and medication providers to supply them with the correct medication in the proper dosage. But mistakes are more common than they should be.

If you, a family member, or another loved one suffer from side effects, injuries, or hardships due to prescription drug errors, you may be entitled to compensation from the pharmacy or physician who supplied you with the drugs. Capital-area residents should contact a local Washington, D.C. prescription error lawyer to determine their options for pursuing compensation.

At the Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D. & Associates, we have decades of experience in medical malpractice and prescription error lawsuits. We know the physical and financial challenges that insufficient medical care can leave you with – and we want to make things right. Call us or contact us through our website for a free consultation about the potential value of your lawsuit.

Why Do Prescription Errors Happen?

Most prescription errors are avoidable, but it only takes one slip-up for something to go wrong. Before you took the drugs prescribed to you, you relied on potentially dozens of people to verify the information and administer the medication correctly. A pharmacist misreading a label or a doctor failing to recognize a potential issue in your medical history is enough to create a chain of events that ends with you getting sick from improperly dosed or administered medication.

How Frequently Do Prescription Errors Happen?

Prescription errors vary in frequency and severity, with serious injuries less common than minor side effects. However, no one who takes medicine from a trusted source deserves to suffer from injuries or discomfort – no matter how small.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives over 100 thousand reports of suspected medication errors annually, with many more likely going unreported or unknown. Estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) claim one person dies every day in the United States as a direct result of medication errors, with over a million more suffering some form of injury in a given year.

Finding exact data can be tricky due to the tendency of non-healthcare professionals not to report potential symptoms. If you are sick and taking medication that adversely affects your health, blaming the prescription might not be your first assumption, as you assume your doctor correctly administered it.

What Are Some Common Prescription Errors?

Errors can occur at any point in the process of prescribing and administering a drug to a patient. These include:

• Incorrect medication – Doctors can make mistakes in diagnosis, causing them to prescribe an ineffective or potentially harmful drug. Illegible writing or a simple mistake at the pharmacy can cause a pharmacist to administer a medication that wasn’t prescribed, resulting in the patient taking something that a healthcare professional did not evaluate for their situation.
• Dosage issues – Many drugs have varying effects based on the amount and frequency of the dosage. If a nurse in charge of administering your doses misreads or misunderstands the dosage instructions, you can end up taking far more or less than the recommendations for that drug.
• Dangerous combinations of drugs – Some medications that are safe on their own can be dangerous when taken together. Your doctor should consider all of your current medications before prescribing anything new. Failing to do so can have deadly consequences.

What Injuries Can Occur from Prescription Errors?

Medication packaging includes a long list of warnings for a reason. Injuries and side effects from incorrectly prescribed medication include:

• Worsening symptoms – Failing to receive the correct medication usually means the drug you are taking is not addressing the underlying issue, causing the problem to worsen over time.
• Allergic reactions – If your doctor does not consider your medical history before prescribing you medication, they may have you taking drugs that cause a preventable allergic reaction.
• Damage to the body – Avoidable side effects and untreated illnesses can cause long-term damage to both external and internal organs.

Who Could Be Liable for a Prescription Error?

Anyone involved in ordering and filling your prescriptions could be the cause of the error. While some are more common than others, potential sources of the error include the following:

• Doctors who prescribe the drug initially
• Pharmacists who fill out prescriptions
• Nurses or assisted living staff who help administer the drug

Health complications are more likely if multiple errors occur during this process, such as a nurse administering an incorrectly prescribed medication in a high dose.

Can I Get Financial Compensation for Injuries Caused by Prescription Errors?

If you were harmed because of a prescription error in Washington, D.C., you could be entitled to compensation for your:

• Unnecessary medical bills
• Long-term disability or disfigurement
• Pain, suffering, and emotional damages
• Lost wages and diminished income

Is There a Time Limit for Filing a Prescription Error Malpractice Injury Lawsuit in Washington, D.C.?

The statute of limitations on medical malpractice claims in Washington, D.C. gives you three years from the date you last took an unsafe drug to sue the medical professional who provided it to you. Contacting a Washington, D.C. prescription error lawyer as soon as you suspect a mistake has occurred is the best way to pursue the compensation you deserve.

Contact a Washington, D.C. Prescription Error Lawyer

Hurt because of a prescription error in Washington, D.C.? The Law Offices of Dr. Michael M. Wilson, M.D., J.D. & Associates can begin working on your case immediately. No one should have to worry about lawsuit costs during a health scare, and we charge you nothing unless we win your case.

Holding both medical and law degrees, Michael M. Wilson has spent his career fighting for those injured by improper medical care and recovering millions of dollars for them in compensation. Contact us through our website or call us for your free consultation and learn how we can help you during this difficult time.

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