Prescription Drug Error Attorney

A prescription with an open bottle of pills overtop of it.

Prescription Drug Error Lawyers in Arlington, Texas

Patients trust doctors and pharmacists to provide them with the right medication. When you are given the wrong drug or the wrong dosage, your health can go from bad to worse quickly. This can lead to increased medical bills and horrible side effects that can last for days or even years.

If you’ve suffered due to a prescription drug error, you need an attorney at your side who is experienced in product liability and medical malpractice. The dedicated attorneys at Branch & Dhillon, P.C. have extensive experience helping people in Texas and Virginia get the compensation they deserve for their injuries. We fight hard to ensure that you are taken care of and are able to get your life back in order as soon as possible. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced medical malpractice attorneys.

How Does a Prescription Drug Error Occur?

Prescription drug errors can occur in a number of ways. Most of the time, these errors are a result of exhaustion, rushing, carelessness, or human error. Here are some common examples of prescription drug errors:

  • A doctor or nurse giving the wrong medication or dosage to a patient.
  • A mislabeled prescription.
  • A prescription that does not interact well with the other medications the patient is currently on.
  • A patient not being warned about the side effects of the medication they are given.

Liability for Prescription Drug Errors

Liability for prescription drug errors is dependent on where the mistake took place. Here are the different cases of prescription drug error and which health professionals might be held liable:

Administering the Wrong Drug or the Wrong Dose

A gavel, a stack of medical books, and a stethoscope sit on a desk infant of a bookshelf.Administering the wrong drug – or the wrong dosage amount of the right drug – can lead to adverse side effects that can cause further injury. Doctors and nurses are usually held responsible for this kind of error. The mistake could be due to a misplaced decimal point when writing down the dosage or not paying close enough attention to the patient’s chart and grabbing a prescription meant for someone else.

In some cases, medications need to be administered in certain ways, such as through the muscle as opposed to the bloodstream. If a doctor or nurse mixes up which way the drug needs to be administered, then they can potentially cause the drug to be ineffective or cause side effects that wouldn’t have been experienced if the drug had been given correctly. In any of these cases, it is up to the nurses and doctors to ensure that they are protecting their patients by giving them the correct medicine in the right way and at the right dosage.

Mislabeling Medication

Mislabeled medications are usually the fault of the manufacturer or the pharmaceutical company. This kind of case may fall under the category of product liability since the product itself was flawed due to a mistake before it even hit the shelves to be sold or used.

On the other hand, pharmacists may also mislabel drugs when they are filling them. Giving a mislabeled drug to a patient can lead to adverse side effects, the medicine not targeting the issue the patient is facing, or an allergic reaction that can lead to further injury or wrongful death. In these cases, the pharmacist may be held liable for the mistake and the case would fall under the definition of medical malpractice.

Prescribing a Harmful Medication

Doctors and pharmacists should be keeping track of all the medications you are currently using and any known allergies. This helps protect you from receiving a medication that could be harmful to you. However, if a doctor or pharmacist gives you a prescription that you are allergic to or that interacts badly with your other medications, that medical professional may be held liable for damages since they acted negligently.

Failing to Warn of Side Effects

Wooden Gavel And Stethoscope an American FlagWhen you are prescribed a new drug or even one you have taken before, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists are required to go over any possible negative side effects. This helps you know what is normal and what could be considered dangerous. If you were not informed about a side effect, or how a medication interacts with other food and drugs, and you suffered an injury, you may be eligible to receive compensation. The doctor, nurse, or pharmacist who prescribed the drug and failed to warn may be held liable for damages and injury.

Seeking Compensation for a Prescription Drug Error Case

Prescription drug errors can lead to minor to serious injuries, and in the worst cases, they can be fatal. If you or a loved one has been injured due to a prescription drug error, you may be eligible for monetary compensation for medical expenses and other damages. Contact the dedicated personal injury attorneys at Branch & Dhillon, P.C. today. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to go over your case. We also are a no-win, no-fee law firm, which ensures that your pursuit of compensation has little risk to you and your family. This is just another way we put our clients first. Contact us today for more information about our services and to start your journey to compensation.