Virginia Nursing Home Medication Errors Lawyer

Medications make life livable and pain-free for millions of patients around the world, and nursing homes patients often depend on various medications to stay alive and remain healthy. Unfortunately, medications, like most things, can be dangerous if they are given to the wrong person or in the wrong increment. Medication errors are relatively common, but they can be deadly in some cases.

Nursing homes care for elderly and ill individuals, and they must emphasize the importance of keeping medication errors to the minimum to their employees. Even when a nursing home takes the appropriate measures, dangerous medication errors can still occur due to the negligence of irresponsible employees.

If you or your loved one has been harmed by a medication error while in the care of a skilled nursing facility, a Virginia nursing home medication errors lawyer may be able to assist you. Call an experienced attorney today to discuss your legal options.

Common Types of Medication Errors

Under the law, prescription drug errors are considered a form of medical malpractice. Drug errors come in a myriad of forms, but the following are the most common:

  • Prescribing a patient the incorrect drug
  • Giving the wrong drug to the wrong patient
  • Prescribing a patient the incorrect dosage of a drug
  • Prescribing a patient a drug that negatively interacts with another drug
  • Prescribing a patient a drug they are allergic to

Failing to warn a patient about potential harmful side effects and mislabeling medication are also common errors. Medical professionals, nursing home staff members, and facility administrators should take great measures to ensure patients are not harmed by the medication errors listed above.

Medication Error Liability

In a nutshell, anyone involved in the prescribing and distribution of a prescription drug can be held liable if a medication error occurs. This includes doctors, nurses, nursing home staff members, pharmacists, drug manufacturers, and even the entire pharmacy department of a facility.

Doctors, physician assistants, and nurses employed by nursing homes can be held liable if a patient is prescribed the wrong medication. Contrary to popular belief, medication errors are fairly common, and a simple oversight by a single individual can result in a dangerous chain reaction. Misplaced decimal points, poor handwriting, and physician fatigue can all contribute to medication errors.

Nurses are often responsible for administering medications to nursing home patients. Often, a drug must be administered in a certain manner, and if it is not, a patient can suffer. If a doctor prescribes the correct drug, but a nurse fails to administer it properly, the nurse can be held liable for a medication error.

Cases Involving Drug Manufacturers

Occasionally, the manufacturer of a drug can be held liable for a medication error. If a manufacturer fails to warn physicians and the public of dangerous side effects, or the medication is not properly inspected or tested prior to its release, a patient may be able to file a product liability claim against the manufacturer of a pharmaceutical.

To avoid a lapse in sales, pharmaceutical companies have been known to conceal important testing information from the public. With the help of a Virginia nursing home medication errors lawyer, patients may be able to hold drug manufacturers liable in court.

Let a Virginia Nursing Home Medication Errors Attorney Assist You

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a nursing home medication error, you may have a wealth of legal options at your disposal. There is no excuse for serious medication errors, and you may be entitled to compensation for your pain, suffering, and medical expenses.

Discuss your case with a Virginia nursing home medication errors lawyer today.