When you pick up a prescription, you trust that everyone involved in getting that medication to you got their job right. But that does not always happen. Not all medication errors involve the pharmacy, either. In fact, many begin long before the pharmacist dispenses the drug. A missed allergy, a wrong decimal point, or a nurse who misunderstood a verbal order can cause serious injuries. Many medication errors start with simple miscommunication between healthcare providers, and the results can be life-changing.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a medication mistake, an Aventura medication error lawyer can help you understand what went wrong and whether you have a legal case and compensation claim. If you believe your harm could have been avoided, it is worth speaking to a medical malpractice attorney who can help investigate what happened and who is responsible for the error.
Most patients do not see the chain of communication happening behind a prescription. It usually starts with a doctor entering an order into a chart. The order is reviewed by a nurse, transcribed into an electronic health record, and sent to a pharmacist for fulfillment. If any part of this communication chain breaks down, the patient may receive the wrong medication, the wrong dose, or a drug they should never have been given in the first place.
These are not always one-off mistakes. Busy hospitals, high staff turnover, and a flawed system make it easy for miscommunications. A nurse may not verify a patient’s allergy list, or a pharmacist might not question an unusually high dose. Once the medication is in the hands of the patient, the chance to correct any errors is gone.
Communication failures in healthcare settings are alarmingly common, especially when the communication goes through multiple people. Some of the most frequent issues include:
Each of these breakdowns can result in serious complications, including allergic reactions, organ damage, internal bleeding, or dangerous drug interactions. An attorney in Aventura will review a medication error to determine where the communication breakdown happened.
When a medication error causes harm, patients might wonder if it qualifies as medical malpractice. If a provider’s failure to communicate clearly led directly to harm, a patient might have the right to file a medical error claim.
Under Florida Statutes § 766.102, healthcare professionals are required to act with a level of skill and diligence expected of reasonably competent providers in a similar situation. That does not mean they cannot make mistakes. It does mean that a communication breakdown could be the result of negligence, and that could result in a valid compensation claim. Our Aventura lawyer can determine whether a medication error qualifies as medical malpractice.
When a medication mistake causes serious harm, the issue may not be the drug itself but the chain of people and systems that failed you along the way. Understanding how those failures happened can help you take control of your recovery and pursue justice for negligence that resulted in harm.
A knowledgeable Aventura medication errors lawyer at Kaire & Heffernan can investigate what happened and help you determine if the error was preventable under reasonable circumstances. If it was, we will fight to hold the responsible parties accountable and help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation about the details of your case.
(305) 876-6001