Drug interactions can lead to serious injuries and even death, so as daily regimens include increasingly large quantities of medications, it is important to understand how these errors occur and what can happen as a result. Surveys show that most adults take at least one daily prescription medication and over 20% of adults take five or more medications every day. When you add in over-the-counter medicines and supplements recommended by healthcare providers, it is easy to see why drug interactions can pose such a problem. There are so many to keep track of.
However, health care providers have computerized recordkeeping systems. Providers should be asking what patients are currently taking before prescribing new medications, and when they fail to ask or ignore potential interaction problems, they put patients at risk. Here we take a look at how interaction mistakes occur, when those mistakes become medical malpractice, and what you need to know to protect yourself.
What is a Drug Interaction?
A drug interaction refers to the way different medicines affect one another when taken together. Drugs do not necessarily need to be taken at the same time to interact—you can have one medication in your system from a dose hours or days ago, and it can react with a medication or substance you just took.
Not every interaction is dangerous. But even a seemingly benign interaction can cause one or both medications to lose their effectiveness, so it is important to be aware of the potential interactions between all prescribed and recommended medications and supplements.
How Do Drug Interaction Mistakes Occur?
Some of the reasons that dangerous drug interaction errors occur include:
- Medical staff at a hospital or other facility did not fully document a patient’s medications
- The patient was not asked about over-the-counter medications and supplements taken
- The prescriber failed to take note of a patient’s allergy history or prior adverse reactions
- The prescriber failed to review existing prescriptions for interactions
- The pharmacy mislabeled medication or failed to provide warning materials
- The healthcare provider failed to keep up-to-date with interaction alerts
- The prescriber ignored known contraindications and prescribed without a proper evaluation
When doctors or other medical professionals fail to follow reasonable operating standards when prescribing and administering medications, they can be held liable for medical malpractice if their errors cause harm to a patient.
FAQs About Drug Interactions
What are the potential consequences of overlooked drug interactions?
When a patient takes two or more medications that interact, it can cause:
- Internal bleeding
- Liver or kidney damage
- Seizures
- Strokes
- Dangerous drops in respiration or blood pressure
- Confusion and other mental problems
These effects can in turn lead to other problems such as falls and fractures. The consequences can be serious enough to lead to hospitalization and death, particularly for patients who are older or taking multiple medications.
What should you do if you suspect a drug interaction or other medication error?
Protecting the patient’s health is the top priority, so it is important to seek appropriate medical attention. If symptoms are severe, call 911 or get to the hospital. If symptoms are mild or have not yet appeared, call the doctor for advice and explain all the potential interactions, symptoms, and concerns.
To protect your legal rights, it is wise to:
- Keep all prescription bottles and medication lists
- Get copies of medical and pharmacy records
- Write down or record all symptoms, the treatment needed because of the interaction, and the expenses incurred.
If you believe the interaction occurred due to a mistake on the part of a healthcare provider, it could be time to consult a medical malpractice attorney who may be able to help you pursue compensation for the harm suffered.
Are all drug interaction mistakes a sign of medical malpractice?
No, a drug interaction may occur even when all accepted recommendations and standards are followed, and that would not be negligence. To prove malpractice in Montana and Wyoming, it is necessary to demonstrate that a healthcare provider failed to recognize or appropriately handle a known drug interaction risk.
When Medication Errors Cause Injuries, Ragain & Clark Fights for Full Compensation
Far too often, patients suffer when healthcare providers are in a hurry. Doctors don’t check for potential interactions or medical staff neglect to update records. Patients deserve care that meets reasonable standards, but they often fail to get it.
When lack of proper care causes injuries, those injuries can turn serious and even deadly very quickly. The team at Ragain & Clark knows how to fight for justice and fair compensation in these situations. We cannot restore lost health, but we can work to obtain resources to meet your future needs and offset the suffering. For a free consultation to learn more about the assistance we can provide in Montana and Wyoming, contact us online or call us at (406) 651-8888 or (307) 388-6400 today.
