Virginia Medical Malpractice Blog - Williamson & Lavecchia, L.C.

Medication Errors Injure 1.5 Million Americans

A report by The National Academies, finds that at least 1.5 million Americans are injured or killed each year due to medication errors. The extra cost of treating these injuries is estimated at $3.5 billion dollars per year excluding lost time from work and more importantly the needless suffering of victims of preventable medication errors.

Medication errors account for approximately 400,000 injuries in hospitals, 800,000 injuries in long term care facilities (nursing homes), and over 500,000 injuries in out patient clinics. 

The report recommends specific steps to reduce the frequency of medication errors.  The report recommends improved communication between physicians and patients as well as improved communication between insurance companies and patients.  You may find it surprising, but patients and their families often are never informed when medication errors occur even when the medication errors cause serious injuries or death.  The report further suggests that patients become more proactive in asking their doctors questions about how to take the medication, side effects, and providing accurate information to their doctors about all the medications they take.

Click here to read the full report.

Most problems relate to carelessness.  At home we all know that we need to be very careful with our medicines so our children do not get their hands on them.  Hospitals need to be equally diligent.  The starting point is the prescription written by the patient's physician.  Illegible handwriting is a common cause of medication errors.  Electronic prescriptions would significantly reduce these errors.  Pharmaceutical companies have complicated the job of nurses and pharmacists by giving multiple prescription medications similar names.  Then comes the problem of giving the correct medication to the correct patient.  In one prior case, our client suffered a heart attack after being given the wrong medicine.  The nurse must verify the identity of the patient, the prescription, the dose, and the correct medicine before administering the medication.

Until these medication errors are reduced, patients will continue to suffer serious and even catastrophic injuries.  If you or a loved one has been injured due to a medication error, please contact us immediately.  Your rights are subject to a strict statute of limitations. 

Sincerely yours,

Josh Silverman

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