Medication errors significantly threaten patient safety, especially among vulnerable nursing home residents. Receiving the wrong drug or dose can cause a nursing home resident to suffer an injury, illness, or even fatal complications. At the very least, it can lead to no relief from the patient's condition.
Medication is a crucial element of treatment, and there is no room for error. Unfortunately, many nursing homes fail to prevent medication errors, putting residents' health and lives at risk.
The personal injury attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC, help victims of medication errors pursue financial aid and seek financial compensation through litigation or out-of-court settlements.
Contact our nursing home abuse attorneys at (800) 926-7565 for a free legal case review.
A medication error is "any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or consumer.”
These serious errors can occur at any step of the medication-use system, which are:
Medication errors can occur in any hospital, rehabilitation center, hospice, and nursing home, by any staff member.
A medication error can occur in several ways. Here are some of the most common medication errors:
Medication mistakes can occur at the first step of the medication-use process when a doctor prescribes a patient the wrong drug, dose form, or medication administration. Mistakes linked to prescription errors are:
Licensed nurses are responsible for administering drugs to patients using the correct methods. Medication errors at this stage can occur by:
Proper medication management is crucial in maintaining high-quality care. Unfortunately, some nursing homes have insufficient protocols, practices, and strategies to prevent medication errors.
Medication errors in nursing homes and assisted living facilities have several contributing factors, such as:
However, these mistakes usually occur due to a facility's failure to provide nursing staff members with what they need for proper medication management. Nursing homes can prevent errors by ensuring all staff members are adequately trained to dispense medication to residents.
Medication errors in nursing homes can lead to side effects. However, if a patient is given the wrong medication or dose, their body's reaction may be more intense.
Mild side effects may include:
Although relatively rare, medication errors can also cause severe side effects, such as:
Deviating from medication standards can elevate the risk of injury among nursing home residents. The main reason is that medication errors can lead to side effects that increase the risk of falling, such as drowsiness, lightheadedness, and mental confusion.
Falls are the leading cause of severe injuries and death in nursing homes. Elderly residents are particularly at risk due to their reduced physical conditions and ability to recover.
Medication errors can also increase the risk of elopement among high-risk nursing home residents (e.g., dementia patients). Elopement is when a resident wanders through or leaves the facility without authorization, usually due to confusion, cognitive impairments, or discomfort.
It can lead to serious injury, especially if the nursing home resident manages to leave the facility altogether.
Nursing homes are responsible for ensuring medication safety across all channels. When a medication error occurs and causes harm to a resident, the negligent parties (including the facility) may be held liable for a nursing home abuse lawsuit.
To file a nursing facility abuse or medical malpractice claim, you must prove the following:
Medication errors in nursing homes can result from the negligence of:
Pharmaceutical companies may also be liable for injuries if the case involves a defective drug.
Regardless of who is at fault for the mistake, nursing homes may be accountable for nursing home medication errors for failing to uphold medication standards.
Nursing care home abuse cases involving drug errors must prove that 1) the error occurred due to the negligence of staff members and 2) the error caused harm. The following forms of evidence can help you establish these two elements:
Consider seeking professional medical advice to see how you can prove that the error, not other conditions, caused your injuries. You can discuss this further with your lawyer during your free case review.
By filing a personal injury case against a negligent nursing home for a drug error, you could pursue financial aid or compensation for the following losses:
Our nursing home attorneys will calculate the estimated value of your settlement during your free case review.
Drug errors in nursing homes are often challenging to prove without a nursing home abuse lawyer. Although you may have a paper trail showing you were given the wrong medication, it usually takes a lot of evidence and preparation to establish the nursing home's negligence.
You shouldn't have to deal with a complicated case alone. A nursing care home abuse lawyer can help you:
Our elder abuse attorneys can also help you seek professional medical advice to address the effects of the drug error. Find out more during your free case review.
Proper prescribing, dispensing, and administering residents' medications is a bare minimum obligation for a nursing facility. Unfortunately, negligence can sometimes occur, putting residents at risk of delayed treatment, worsening illnesses, or fatal complications.
Did you or a loved one experience a medication error in a nursing facility? Did this error lead to significant injuries or losses?
The nursing facility abuse attorneys at Nursing Home Law Center, LLC, can help you hold the nursing facility accountable for its negligence.
Contact us at (800) 926-7565 for a free legal case review. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team will remain private under an attorney-client relationship.
Our experienced lawyers handle all accepted nursing care abuse cases on a contingency fee basis. This arrangement means you only have to pay for our legal services if we win your case.