Types of medication errors

Taking medicine is never fun. However, medication errors can make doing so even worse in Cincinnati, Ohio. There are several types of medical errors relating to the distribution of medication.

Errors with the prescription

Many mistakes arise when medications are not even administrated yet. A prescription error is a mistake made by the physician regarding the pharmaceutical type, dose, or the patient’s medical history. These same errors tend to connect to misdiagnoses, which are one of the major sources of medical malpractice claims in the U.S. Intensive care histories, unique diseases and cutting-edge treatments add to prescription mistakes and contribute to your increased risk of receiving the wrong diagnosis.

Errors related to the preparation of the medicine

Usually, someone else must prepare and package a drug, such as a pharmacist. This is because many mistakes occur at this step of the medicine processing. The preparation of medications is difficult, yet crucial in the medical process.

Poor hand hygiene before medication preparation is one of the most common mistakes reported during the preparation stage as it can lead to medicine contamination. While the problem remains throughout the medicine supply chain, the effect on the quality of pharmaceutical formulation may be the most severe during the preparation phase. It is possible that poor medicine identification during the preparation process will spoil the outcome of the drug.

Errors related to the medical staff

Just about everyone has made a documentation blunder at work. However, in the case of medical workers, missing a zero or making another error may result in catastrophe. This negligent medication mistake can cause overdoses or drug ineffectiveness. Also, this specific medical error often leads to medical malpractice claims.

Furthermore, chart review errors may be another serious issue. This may lead to a patient being prescribed a medicine to which he or she is sensitive or has a prior ailment associated with it. A failure to adequately communicate with the patient may result in the same thing.

For the reasons listed above, it is so important that you speak with an attorney if you suspect a medication error has caused or exacerbated an illness. Medication should help improve your life, not worsen it.