Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog
Earlier this month, a local Canadian news source published an article about a hospital that admittedly provided substandard medical care to a patient but has since made serious efforts to provide better care. According to the report, the efforts were in response to the death of an 85-year-old patient who was being treated for a bowel obstruction.
Evidently, the attending nurse administered a prescribed narcotic intravenously rather than subcutaneously, as the physician had recommended. This resulted in the man contracting a case of pneumonia and passing away the following day. Initially, the medical examiner listed the man’s cause of death as “natural,” but as the examiner reviewed additional hospital documents the cause was changed to “accident.”
The man’s family was upset with the level of communication and respect they received after their loved one’s passing. Initially, family members felt as though the administration was “obstructing every attempt” to get information about their loved one. In fact, a professional investigation into the hospital’s chief of staff concluded that he was “evasive and vague” when it came to the incident.
Since then, however, the hospital has admitted that they could have done a better job, both with the initial medical treatment and with the after-the-fact communication with family members. Hospital administration admitted that “in this case, we didn’t serve the patient or the family as well as we could have.”
Pharmacy Errors in Hospitals
The stressful and often fast-paced environment of a hospital lends itself to the confusion that can easily result in a serious or fatal prescription error. With dozens—and sometimes hundreds—of patients, each with several medications and varying diagnoses, hospital pharmacists do not have an easy job. However, that does not excuse them from taking the proper amount of care to ensure that every patient is provided the medication they are prescribed.
When a medication error does occur in a hospital, all too often the results can be tragic. Whether the injury is serious or fatal, the family of the injured person will likely want answers from those responsible. This is where the assistance of a dedicated Maryland pharmacy error attorney can come in handy. With an attorney’s help, injured parties may be able to seek financial compensation for their injuries and potentially for the injuries to loved ones.
Have You Been the Victim of a Prescription Error?
If you or a loved one has recently been the victim of a prescription error, whether it occurred in a hospital or in a retail pharmacy, you may be entitled to monetary damages. These cases, however, can be complex and often require the assistance of a skilled attorney knowledgeable in the relevant laws and regulations. To learn more about prescription error cases, and to speak with an attorney about your situation, call 410-654-3600 today to set up a free consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Five Dangerous Drug Combinations That Can Cause More Harm Than Good, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, June 1, 2015.
Medical Journal Recommends Physicians and Pharmacists Convert Completely to the Metric System to Avoid Medication Errors, Pharmacy Error Injury Lawyer Blog, May 4, 2015.