Atlanta Medication Mislabeling Cases
The label on a medication bottle or a medicine vial is there for a reason. It is what lets patients know what the medication is, what dosage they should take, when to take it, and any harmful drug interactions that may exist for that medication. Accordingly, if that label is mislabeled, there could be grave consequences.
In a malpractice context, mislabeling involves misidentifying the drug in a container, printing improper use instructions on a drug label, or including insufficient or invalid warnings on the label. An experienced malpractice lawyer could help you file a case in Atlanta for medication mislabeling if you suffer harm due to any of these errors. Let a team of client-centered attorneys who have access to cutting-edge technology and an in-house doctor help you today.
How Do Medication Mislabeling Errors Happen in Atlanta?
As modern medicine has advanced, more and more people are taking medications on a daily basis, leading to busier and busier pharmacies. Many pharmacies in Atlanta are understaffed, overworked, and sometimes filled with technicians who were not trained sufficiently for the roles they need to fill, all of which can create an environment where medication errors are more likely to occur.
Many pharmacies have computer systems meant to flag potential errors, but often pharmacy technicians see so many mundane or unimportant things get flagged that they just start to ignore them. Unfortunately, this means when the system identifies a legitimate error that could cause a patient harm, the pharmacy workers are desensitized to it and do not really pay any attention.
What Are the Potential Consequences of Mislabeling Medications?
If a patient’s medication is mislabeled at any point during the prescribing process, he or she could take the wrong medication entirely. Aside from not treating the underlying condition, this could be especially harmful if the patient is allergic to the incorrectly labeled medication he or she was given.
Alternatively, patients could overdose on too much of a certain medication if it is not labeled correctly. Even if the medication is the one they were supposed to take, taking too much at one point could end up being harmful in the form of an overdose instead of helpful in treating their condition.
In some cases, if a dangerous interaction is not described on a medication’s label, patients may combine medications with contraindications or take medications in ways they should not. Depending on the circumstances, this could have catastrophic results and cause serious medical consequences.
Filing Suit for a Mislabeling Error
The first step people in Atlanta who suspect their medication was mislabeled should take is to seek medical care to ensure they are not in danger and, if they are in danger, reverse the effects as quickly as possible. While doing so, people should hold onto the prescription bottle the medication was contained in, the paperwork they received from the doctor and the pharmacy, and all other information they were given by the pharmacy, the hospital, or the physicians who gave them their prescription.
All of this could be evidence in a medication mislabeling case, including and especially the actual medication that is in the bottle. To maximize their chances of success, victims may also need expert testimony to demonstrate that there was a medication error, that the error was a violation of the standard of care, and that it directly caused their injuries.
How an Atlanta Attorney Could Help File a Medication Mislabeling Case
Legal counsel could help you investigate whether you have a valid Atlanta medication mislabeling claim by identifying whether there was an error that constitutes a violation of the standard of care your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist owed you. If so, legal professionals could work with you to assess what damages you could seek compensation for, preserve and assemble available evidence, and file a timely lawsuit on your behalf. Call today to speak directly to a qualified attorney who takes calls after hours and who could offer you a free case review.
