If prescription drugs are not administered or taken correctly, they could cause harm instead of healing. Many patients rely on their doctors and pharmacists to prescribe appropriate treatment options for their conditions. Patients are also dependent on their medical providers to give them accurate instructions on how to take these medicines safely and when they fail to do so, it may be necessary to contact a medical malpractice attorney.
Errors in prescribing medications or in dosing may exacerbate preexisting conditions and lead to the development of new medical complications. The costs associated with these medical errors may be significant, but injured patients may not need to bear these expenses themselves. With help from a Tarpon Springs prescription drug errors lawyer, injured plaintiffs may be able to recover financial reimbursement from a careless doctor or pharmacist whose actions led to an injury.
Negligence or Recklessness May Be Behind Drug Mistakes in Tarpon Springs
Prescription drug mistakes may be preventable if doctors and pharmacists act carefully and reasonably when prescribing and dispensing medications. These medical professionals possess years of education and state licensure, yet they may still act negligently causing injury by:
- Failing to account for a patient’s other medications and potential interactions
- Not discussing alternative treatment options with patients
- Not ensuring the prescribed medication is a proper treatment for the patient’s condition
- Not informing patients of a medication’s side effects and what to do if they experience them
- Giving a patient the wrong medication, the wrong dosage, or the incorrect instructions
Plaintiffs who wish to pursue claims for compensation against their medical care providers for drug errors must generally show that the defendant’s conduct was, at a minimum, negligent. Making this determination will often require the plaintiff to examine norms and standard practices in Tarpon Springs and compare these to the defendant’s behaviors. A knowledgeable medication errors lawyer in Tarpon Springs could help injured plaintiffs determine if their doctor’s or pharmacist’s actions were careless or reckless under the circumstances.
Recovering Compensation Requires Causation
Showing that one’s doctor or pharmacist made a careless error in prescribing or dispensing medication is not enough to warrant a plaintiff receiving compensation. The plaintiff must also present sufficient evidence that their injuries, expenses, and losses were caused by the defendant’s actions. In other words, there must be evidence of causation.
Causation generally exists between a defendant’s conduct and a plaintiff’s injuries if the plaintiff would not have sustained the harm that they did if the defendant had not acted as they did. A prescription drug errors qualified attorney in Tarpon Springs could help plaintiffs understand whether sufficient evidence of causation exists in their cases.
Reach Out for Help from a Tarpon Springs Prescription Drug Errors Attorney
Speak with a Tarpon Springs prescription drug errors lawyer today if you suffer medical complications, serious side effects, or other harm and believe a prescription error may be the cause. You may have a valid lawsuit if your doctor, pharmacist, or other medical professional behaved carelessly and caused you to sustain injuries or expenses as a result. Call an attorney today to start working on your case.