PORTLAND MEDICATION ERRORS ATTORNEY

We Handle Medication
Error Cases in
Portland and Throughout Oregon

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According to statistics published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than 56 million individuals had prescriptions filled at pharmacies in Oregon in a single year. In addition to individuals who receive prescriptions, tens of thousands of people spend time in Portland hospitals each year, including the nationally ranked Oregon Health and Science University Hospital and the Providence Portland Medical Center. When a patient is hospitalized, it is almost certain they will be administered some type of medication as part of their treatment and often many different types of medications at the same time.

While medications can significantly improve an ill or injured individual’s condition, they can also pose severe risks if they are administered or prescribed improperly. For this reason, medical professionals must meet a required standard of care anytime any type of medication is involved. If a doctor, nurse, or other type of medical professional is negligent and makes a medication error, a patient who suffers injuries from the error has the right to often significant compensation. If you believe that you have been injured due to a medication error, you should not hesitate to discuss your situation with an experienced Portland medical malpractice attorney who can identify whether you have a viable claim.

Portland Prescription Errors

There are many factors that a physician should consider prior to prescribing any medication to a patient. Relevant medical conditions, allergies, state of health, age, medical history, current medications, and more should all be carefully evaluated before a doctor decides whether a particular medication is right for a particular patient. In addition, a prescription should be carefully written and filled to ensure that dosage and type of medication are accurate. The following are some examples of medication errors that can occur with prescriptions:

• Prescribing a medication when the patient has an allergy;
• Prescribing a medication that adversely reacts to another medication the patient is taking;
• Writing the wrong prescription for the wrong patient;
• Specifying the wrong dosage for the patient;
• Pharmacist fills the wrong prescription for the wrong patient;
• Pharmacist fails to check the patient’s medications for possible adverse drug reactions.

Allergic reactions, adverse drug reactions, or taking the wrong type or amount of medication can cause serious and emergency medical conditions, which often require extensive treatment or lead to overdose or death. Any negligent medical professional who caused the error should be held responsible for the losses of injured patients.

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Portland Administration Errors

Because of the sheer amount of medication administered to patients in hospitals by numerous nurses and medical staff, these professionals are required to be highly vigilant and keep careful records when medication is involved. When communication or records regarding medication are unclear, some common medication administration errors can include:

• Giving the wrong medication to the wrong patient;
• Failing to give required medication;
• Double-dosing a patient;
• Failing to monitor a patient after administration of certain medications; and
• Failing to observe for contraindications.

These are only some of the errors that can occur when hospital staff are overly fatigued, disorganized, or otherwise negligent when dispensing medication. Patients who receive too much medication risk an overdose, while patients who do not receive the correct medication may suffer complications of their illness that may lead to additional treatment.

While proving how a medication error occurred and identifying the negligent medical professional can be difficult, an experienced medication error attorney will know how to investigate and what records can serve as important evidence in your case. If you believe you were given the wrong type of dose of medication during a stay in one of Portland’s hospitals, you should learn more about your legal rights by consulting with a qualified legal professional as soon as possible.