Medical Malpractice Lawsuits for Pharmaceutical Errors
When people come to Chanfrau & Chanfrau with a legal matter, they know they they are meeting with some of the finest attorneys in the Daytona Beach area. Our team of personal injury attorneys fights diligently for every client, helping them receive just compensation following a serious injury.
Expert legal representation is especially important when it comes to negligence in the medical profession. With that in mind, let's turn our attention to medical negligence cases that involve pharmaceutical errors and prescription mistakes.
Proper Prescriptions Are Important for Wellness
When we go to our doctors, we expect them to properly diagnose the conditions we suffer from and to prescribe medicines that will properly treat these problems. That seems simple, and yet sadly there are times when doctors make mistakes, and these mistakes can be costly. In fact, in some instances they can cost people their lives.
If you suffer from a serious viral infection, for instance, and your doctor prescribes antibiotics for a bacterial infection, your health problem will not be properly treated, nor the side effects alleviated. This misdiagnosis could mean the difference between life and death.
Doctors Must Consider Patient Allergies and Contraindications
In addition to prescribing the right drugs for the proper health issue, doctors have to be attentive to potential patient allergies to new medications or contraindications with medications that a patient is already taking.
With regard to allergic reactions, a patient can suffer a major health issue simply from taking a drug that he or she is allergic to. Medical history should be checked and doctors should be diligent and mindful of potential harm that this new drug may pose to a patient.
As for contraindications, this means that a drug may have harmful side effects when taken in combination with another drug. It is surprising how many serious injuries to patients have been the result of an avoidable mishap had a doctor noted a contraindication.
Pharmacists Have to Be Held Accountable as Well
In some cases, the pharmaceutical error is not the result of a doctor's error but rather the error of a pharmacist. For example, the pharmacist may not fill the proper prescription, may have miscounted the amount of pills, or perhaps has made a mistake with the potency or dosage of a medication. In addition, the pharmacist may have not provided proper instructions for use of a medication, which can lead to serious dangers for the patient taking a drug.
No matter the case, pharmacists need to be held accountable for errors on their part that lead to the harm of a patient.
Holding Pharmaceutical Companies Accountable for Negligence
While medical professionals certainly need to be taken to task when they act negligently, pharmaceutical companies should similarly be held accountable when they demonstrate irresponsibility. If a pharmaceutical company puts a defective or harmful drug on the market, those who are harmed by it should be able to receive damages for any hardships that they have had to endure.
Skilled medical malpractice and product liability attorneys will be crucial to take on these pharmaceutical companies given the legal machinery they have in place.
Learn About Your Legal Rights Following a Pharmaceutical Error
For more information about your legal options following a serious pharmaceutical error, it's important that you contact our medical malpractice attorneys today. The entire team at Chanfrau & Chanfrau will fight diligently for you to ensure that you receive expert legal counsel and that negligent parties are brought to justice.