Savannah Medication Error Lawyer
As defined by the Oxford University’s QJM medical journal, a medication error is “a failure in the treatment process that leads to, or has the potential to lead to, harm to the patient.” While we place a lot of trust in our doctors and medical professionals, it is important to recognize that medication errors happen every day and could cause serious injuries.
If you or a loved one suffered a serious health consequence as a result of a medication error, a Savannah medication error lawyer could help. You might not need to try to seek justice alone, a dedicated team of seasoned medical malpractice attorneys could advocate for you.
The Duty of Care Held by Medical Professionals
As established by O.C.G.A. § 51-1-27, every medical professional owes their patients a duty of care to provide quality attention. Medication manufacturers also have a duty to ensure their medication is safe.
A medication error could occur at any stage of the process and may constitute malpractice. At any point in the process from prescribing the medicine or deciding which medication to prescribe, dosage, administering the drug and monitoring a patient, a medication error could result.
Prescribing Errors vs Prescription Mistakes
A prescribing error could be considered a failure in the decision-making process that leads to or has the potential to lead to harm to a patient. A prescription error is an error in the process of actually writing the prescription. This may include writing the wrong instruction, the wrong patient, the wrong dosage, or wrong frequency. A Savannah medication error lawyer could help distinguish between these two decisions may be crucial for this type of case.
Pharmacies and Medication Errors
Doctors may not be the only ones who make medication errors as pharmacies and pharmacists could also be responsible. Common pharmacy errors may include:
- Filling the wrong prescription
- Filling the wrong dosage
- Providing the wrong directions
- Failing to counsel a patient
Pharmacists have an important job as experts to ensure that a medication will not interact with any other medication the person is on. With the array of powerful medications on the market, this could be critical as certain medications may have lethal interactions with each other. A seasoned medication attorney in Savannah could assist a plaintiff in establishing the pharmacist’s errors.
Know the Time Limits to File a Lawsuit
If a person was injured by a medication error, it may be important that he or she understands there is only has a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit. Georgia has enacted a statute of limitation which effectively is a time bar to civil lawsuits. Pursuant to Georgia’s statute of limitations for medical malpractice O.C.G.A. 9-3-71, a person has two years from the date of an injury to file a lawsuit. An exception to the two-year statute of limitations may exist in injury cases where there is a pending criminal action, as long as it does not exceed six years.
Contact a Savannah Medication Error Attorney
Medications may be a powerful tool that helps us heal after injury, stops infections from spreading, and increases the quality of life. When a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other medical professional makes a medication error, these useful medications could work against us and cause serious injuries and even death.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury because of a medication error, do not wait to contact a dedicated Savannah medication error lawyer. Call today to set up a free consultation to get started on your case.