Medication Errors: Administration of an Improper Dose
Medication is meant to treat certain conditions and maintain or improve health, but medication errors can lead to serious problems that may cause irreparable damage or even death.
There are different types of medication errors that can harm patients. One type the Tawwater Law Firm would like to discuss in this blog post is medication errors and the administration of an improper dose. If you live in Oklahoma City, OK, or a neighboring area and believe you were injured by a medication error, please contact our law firm to learn more about your options for recovering financial compensation for your injuries and other damages.
Causes of Improper Dose Errors
Many medications require a precise dosage to work as intended. When errors are made by pharmacists, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, it can lead to the patients receiving too much or too little medication. Such errors may occur for a number of reasons, including:
- Improper calculation based on weight: The wrong dose may be given if a patient’s weight is not factored when calculating the dosage for medication. This can result in either too little medication given or too much.
- Failure to convert or pay attention to units: When calculating medication dosages, it’s important that the correct units are used and conversions are made when necessary. Using the wrong units can cause dosages to be too high or too low.
- Calculation errors: Calculation errors, like dividing the wrong number, can lead to completely wrong doses.
- Misuse of decimal points: Decimal points being put in the wrong spot can completely change the dose of a medication.
- Illegible handwriting: When handwritten prescriptions are difficult to read, it can lead to incorrect doses of medicine.
- Rushing to fill prescriptions: Rushing to fill prescriptions can cause errors in calculations, errors in converting units, or any other failing that may result in providing the wrong dose of medication.
- Charting mistakes: Nurses or other medical professionals who administer medication may give the wrong dose to a patient due to a charting mistake. Failure to document that a medication was given, a change was made to the dosage, or the dosage was transcribed wrong, all are examples of charting errors that can affect the dosage given.
Complications Associated with Improper Medication Doses
Dosing errors can lead to overmedicating or under medicating patients in Oklahoma City. As a result of improper medication doses, complications can arise. Some possible complications associated with improper doses of medication include:
- Liver damage
- Kidney damage
- Not receiving the full benefits of the medication
- Worsening condition
- Slower recovery
- Organ failure
- Pain
- Overdose
- Toxic substance accumulation in the body
- Death
Seek Compensation for Medication Errors
Medical professionals are required to uphold a certain standard of care. When a patient is harmed due to the negligence of a medical professional, it may be possible to recover compensation for damages through a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Contact the Tawwater Law Firm
If you or a loved one was injured as a result of a medication error or other medical error, we encourage you to call our Oklahoma City law firm at (405) 607-1400 to schedule a consultation and discuss the details of your case.