Jane Fern's Pharmacists Guide
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Pharmacy Medication Errors
by Joseph Devine
Pharmacy medication errors are one of the most common forms of medical malpractice which occurs in the United States. Every year, approximately 1.3 million people are injured because of an improperly written or filled medication prescription, and an additional 100,000 die. More people die every year as a result of pharmaceutical malpractice than do from AIDS, diabetes, pneumonia, and even car accidents. Not only that, but it's expensive: every year, it costs us between $29 and $72 billion. It's an incredibly costly problem in both financial terms and human terms. And worse than that, it's absolutely preventable.
Malpractice, after all, is human error, and can therefore be prevented by exercising care and respect. Of all hospital admissions, approximately 3% are due to medication problems. About 3% of hospital patients have to extend their stay by 8-12 days due to improperly administered medication. In a survey, a shocking 42% of people responded that they had experienced a medication mistake, or they knew someone who had. These are statistics that must be reversed, and can, but only through responsibility and diligence.
When you go to a doctor or check into the hospital, you are putting your life and health in the hands of trained professionals. But sometimes those professionals make mistakes and administer the wrong medication, or administer the right medication in the wrong amounts or at the wrong time.
Being improperly administered medication can have several negative results. You can have a bad reaction to the drugs which jeopardizes your health. You may even be allergic to the medication. Sometimes, the drug has no effect at all, though this, too, can be dangerous; the patient's treatment may be delayed by the confusion.
The Numbers:
According to a report from a fairly typical hospital, the breakdown in pharmaceutical errors was as follows:
* 39% of errors were due to improper dosing; that is, giving a patient a dosage amount different from what was prescribed.
* 17% were due to administration of a different drug than prescribed.
* 15% were due to accidental subcutaneous infusion of an intravenous drug.
* 12% were due to the drug being administered to the wrong patient.
These numbers are tragic because they represent easily avoided errors. If you have been injured due to pharmaceutical malpractice, it is within your right to file a lawsuit to receive compensation for your injury. It can be beneficial to talk to a personal injury lawyer specializing in medical malpractice.
If you would like to learn more about malpractice law, visit pennsylvaniamalpractice.com.
Joseph Devine
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Devine
medical malpractice, medication errors, pharmaceutical malpractice, pharmacy medication errors
Pharmacy medication errors are one of the most common forms of medical malpractice which occurs in the United States. Every year, approximately 1.3 million people are injured because of an improperly written or filled medication prescription, and an additional 100,000 die. More people die every year as a result of pharmaceutical malpractice than do from AIDS, diabetes, pneumonia, and even car accidents. Not only that, but it's expensive: every year, it costs us between $29 and $72 billion. It's an incredibly costly problem in both financial terms and human terms. And worse than that, it's absolutely preventable.
Malpractice, after all, is human error, and can therefore be prevented by exercising care and respect. Of all hospital admissions, approximately 3% are due to medication problems. About 3% of hospital patients have to extend their stay by 8-12 days due to improperly administered medication. In a survey, a shocking 42% of people responded that they had experienced a medication mistake, or they knew someone who had. These are statistics that must be reversed, and can, but only through responsibility and diligence.
When you go to a doctor or check into the hospital, you are putting your life and health in the hands of trained professionals. But sometimes those professionals make mistakes and administer the wrong medication, or administer the right medication in the wrong amounts or at the wrong time.
Being improperly administered medication can have several negative results. You can have a bad reaction to the drugs which jeopardizes your health. You may even be allergic to the medication. Sometimes, the drug has no effect at all, though this, too, can be dangerous; the patient's treatment may be delayed by the confusion.
The Numbers:
According to a report from a fairly typical hospital, the breakdown in pharmaceutical errors was as follows:
* 39% of errors were due to improper dosing; that is, giving a patient a dosage amount different from what was prescribed.
* 17% were due to administration of a different drug than prescribed.
* 15% were due to accidental subcutaneous infusion of an intravenous drug.
* 12% were due to the drug being administered to the wrong patient.
These numbers are tragic because they represent easily avoided errors. If you have been injured due to pharmaceutical malpractice, it is within your right to file a lawsuit to receive compensation for your injury. It can be beneficial to talk to a personal injury lawyer specializing in medical malpractice.
If you would like to learn more about malpractice law, visit pennsylvaniamalpractice.com.
Joseph Devine
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Devine
medical malpractice, medication errors, pharmaceutical malpractice, pharmacy medication errors
Labels: medical malpractice, medication errors, pharmaceutical malpractice, pharmacy medication errors
posted by Jane Fern Miranda at 4:26 PM
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