Medication errors pose dangers to California residents

As patients, California residents trust that the medication doctors prescribe to treat them will help improve their health. What they don't count on, however, is that a negligent physician or pharmacist could make a prescription medication error that could actually harm their health.

There are ways that a patient may try to protect him or herself from a prescription medication error. Patients who are active participants in their health care may be able to prevent serious injury or even a fatal medication error. Being knowledgeable about their medication by knowing the names of the drugs they are taking and what those drugs are for, as well as what their prescriptions are supposed to look like, such as the shape and color of a regular medication, may prevent mediation errors. Reading all labels and following directions, keeping a list of medications and perhaps most importantly, asking questions when they are concerned, can help keep a patient safe.

However, even when patients take the utmost care in paying attention to their prescriptions and asking questions, they still must rely on the knowledge of doctors to prescribe medications and pharmacists to distribute those medications. Unfortunately, doctors may make mistakes, and could prescribe a dangerous combination of prescriptions that may harm the patient's health. Not checking for allergies, prescribing the wrong drug or making a dosage mistake could also lead to serious injury or even death for a patient.

If you or a loved one has suffered harm related to a medication error, you may be able to seek compensation for such injury. An attorney experienced in this area of medical malpractice law may be able to help advise you on how to proceed in such a lawsuit.