What are medication and prescription errors?

Medication and prescription errors involve a patient being given the incorrect medication or an incorrect dose of medication. The concept covers both when the correct prescription is prescribed but not given, or when a doctor fails to prescribe the correct medication or dosage in the first place. 

Harm may be caused to a person through medication and prescription errors not only through their taking of the incorrect medication, but also through the incorrect medication causing their original condition to not be treated. This can result in further injury or harm being caused to them over a period of time. 

If you’ve suffered as a result of taking the wrong medication or dosage, then you may be eligible to make a claim for medical error compensation. The prescription error attorneys at LHD Lawyers are on-hand to chat with you about your situation and advise you on the best course of action for your case. 

Why do prescription and medication errors occur?

Medication and prescription errors can occur for a number of reasons. These may include:

• A doctor intending to prescribe the correct medication, but instead making a mistake with the name transcription or prescribing an incorrect dosage
• A pharmacist, nurse or other medical practitioner misreading a doctor’s handwriting and dispensing or administering the incorrect drug or dosage as a result of this mistake
• A doctor making an incorrect or improper medical decision about the appropriate medication, and making a prescription decision based on this decision