There are quite a number of medication error deaths that occur throughout the United States on annual basis. No particular state or hospital is discriminated against, and these medication-related deaths are a shock to family members and friends.
The last statistic from the American Medical Association stated that over 100,000 deaths can be attributed to errors in using medication. As a result the United States government created the Medication Error Reduction Initiative. This initiative is aimed at reducing the amount of medication errors occurring by evaluating characteristics that led to medication errors.
Medication errors can include giving the wrong medication, giving too much of one medication, or giving two medications at the same time that are antagonistic to each other. Some causes of medication errors include:
Illegible Doctor’s Writing
The inability to read doctor’s handwriting was one of the major causes of the wrong medication being given to a patient. This is commonly seen in medications in which the spelling is similar but belonging to different drug classes. Another scenario is when the spelling of the medication is similar but the medications belong to the same drug classes. In each case, the nurse or health care assistant sees is not able to properly read what the doctor has prescribed, and “assumes” that this medication is the correct one. In each case if the incorrect drug is given, this can have an adverse reaction on the person leading to death.
Staff Not Properly Trained
Another reason for medication error death is staff that is not properly trained to administer special types of medication. Therefore instead of administering the medication properly, the staff member may give too much of a dose. A medication error is often seen in this cause when staff also choose not to follow procedures and protocols for drug dosing and administration.
Lapses of Memory
Some of the staff within the hospitals are tired and overworked, even though they are dealing with patient's lives, it is possible for this fatigue to affect their ability to do their job. As a result medical staff might forget they previously gave a dose, and quickly give another dose of medication. This can lead to a patient drug overdose in death, especially in medications affecting the heart. In regards to lapses of memory, it is also possible for medical staff to incorrectly label medication before it is to be administered or after it is administered correctly to one patient, but incorrectly to the next patient.
Who is Liable?
When trying to decide who is liable for the at death due to medication errors, it is best to first consult an attorney skilled in medical malpractice. In most instances, the doctor who prescribed, the nurse who administered the medication, and hospital where the wrongful death occurred can all be named accountable under lawsuit.
