Many nursing home residents rely on professional help when it comes to taking medications. Accordingly, nursing home facilities must make sure their residents receive medications with correct dosages. Errors in prescriptions may result in severe injury or even life-threatening illnesses for those who are particularly vulnerable.
If your loved one suffered because of errors in the administration of medications in San Francisco, California, consider seeking the counsel of a San Francisco medication errors lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm. Call our team for a free case consultation to learn more about nursing home abuse claims.
Understanding Medication Errors in Nursing Homes
Medication errors in a long-term care facility should be easily preventable. It is not uncommon for residents to have a difficult time administering medications themselves, so these tasks may fall on the nursing home staff. Mistakes may happen any time from the moment the doctor writes a prescription up to the instance the resident receives the medicine. Examples include failure to give the medication, administering the wrong drug, and overdosing. Any error involving medications may be dangerous for the elderly, so such incidents are inexcusable. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), some common mistakes that may cause a nursing home resident to suffer include:
- Giving out the wrong drug to the patient
- Writing the wrong prescription for an ailment
- Mislabeling of medication
- Administering an inaccurate amount of medication
- Transcription errors
- Inadequate staff knowledge or training
There are many reasons a patient’s treatment plan may not be followed. Sometimes the nursing care facility may be understaffed, or other times there may be poor communication among different healthcare providers. Regardless of the cause, the patient typically ends up getting hurt. Contact a San Francisco medication errors lawyer from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm if you want to explore potential legal remedies after your loved one has experienced nursing home negligence.
Examples of How Medication Mistakes may Happen
One way wrong medicine may be administered is by misreading the prescription for a resident. For instance, a dosage of 10 milligrams may be read as 100 milligrams if a staff member is careless. It is also possible to mix up medicines if they are similar in name. Nurses in long-term care facilities should be trained in how to administer medications properly. Committing a simple oversight like injecting a drug in the wrong place may lead to the whole institution being liable for negligence.
Physicians should also observe due diligence if prescribing medications. Although it is standard practice to ask a patient about his or her allergies, a physician should still check if the patient gave an accurate medical history. Not every patient in a nursing home may be competent enough to mention all his or her possible allergies. There are also times when residents may take several drugs prescribed by multiple physicians, and it is up to a nursing home pharmacist to ensure there are no negative drug interactions. If your loved one has suffered because of an irresponsible nursing home staff, consider discussing your case with a San Francisco medication errors lawyer to determine your next steps.
For a free legal consultation with a Medication Errors Lawyer serving San Francisco, call (800) 842-6336
Medication Errors may be More Likely to Occur in a Nursing Home
About one out of three patients in skilled nursing facilities were a victim of a medication error or other kinds of injuries linked with a prescribed course of treatment in 2014 according to the ProPublica. Mistakes with medication may happen in nursing homes because residents receive one or more types of prescription drugs. Not every long-term care facility may employ staff and healthcare professionals who are qualified or adequately trained. Every year, medical mistakes may hurt hundreds of thousands of elderly or ill residents.
Some examples of prescription drugs possibly involved in nursing home medication errors include:
- Insulin
- Antidepressant medicines
- Antipsychotic medicines
- Anticoagulants
- Pain management drugs
- Anti-seizure medicines
- Diuretics
Failure to properly administer such medications may be dangerous for physically vulnerable residents. A San Francisco medication errors lawyer may offer guidance if you believe you may be entitled to compensation for a negligent nursing home situation.
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Prescription Drug Error Consequences may be Serious
Although medication errors are not always fatal, you should consider acting quickly if your loved one is showing signs of feeling unwell. It may be vital to contact the primary physician as soon as possible to prevent your loved one’s health condition from becoming worse. You may have the right to take legal recourse if your loved one has been a victim of nursing home negligence. Consider talking with a San Francisco medication errors lawyer to understand how the process may work when it comes to proving negligence. A lawyer may conduct a full investigation of your claim, and look for medical expert witnesses to help potentially establishing liability.
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Pintas & Mullins Law Firm may be able to Lend a Hand if You Suspect Medication Errors
It may be frustrating to find out that the care facility you trusted to take care of your loved one has been irresponsible when it comes to administering essential medications. The detrimental effects of medication errors may become life-threatening if not addressed promptly. A San Francisco medication errors lawyer may be able to help you keep the facility legally actionable. You and your loved one may be entitled to compensation if a nursing home fails to exercise the appropriate standard of care.
Speak with a representative of the team from Pintas & Mullins Law Firm by calling. We may be able to extend our legal assistance and work on a contingency-fee basis.
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