Maui Medication Errors Attorneys
Pharmaceutical drugs are a major component of modern medical care. Health care providers may prescribe you a medication to take at home or administer a controlled substance to you at a medical facility. Whether you receive a medication in the hospital or fill a prescription at a pharmacy, you expect to receive the right drugs in safe and effective dosages.
Unfortunately, medication errors happen all too often. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) receives more than 100,000 reports in the United States each year regarding suspected medication errors.
When you or a loved one sustain an injury because of a medication mistake in Hawaii, we recommend you speak with an experienced Maui medical malpractice lawyer about your options. Under Hawaii law, you may be entitled to pursue compensation through a medical malpractice claim.
When Does a Medication Error Constitute Medical Malpractice?
Prescription drugs have many potential beneficial effects. Even when a medication is appropriately prescribed or administered, you may suffer a serious complication. Or, the drug may not effectively treat your condition. However, such negative outcomes are not automatically the result of medical negligence.
Medication errors constitute medical malpractice when the medical provider violates the applicable standard of care in regard to the dispensing of the medication, and this violation causes you harm. Not all violations of the applicable standard of care, however, lead to valid medical malpractice lawsuits. You must be able to show that the medical provider committed an error in prescribing or administering that drug, and also that you suffered a serious injury. If you were not truly harmed by the medication error, then you do not have a good claim for compensation.
If you believe that you or a loved one have suffered a serious injury as a result of a medication error, please call our law offices right away.
Common Medication Errors in Hawaii
Our Maui medical error lawyers handle claims involving:
- Prescription Errors: Your physician may prescribe a drug that is inappropriate for your condition or that is appropriate for the condition but in the wrong dose or form.
- Preventable Allergic Reactions: Physicians are responsible for taking your medical history and other precautions to avoid prescribing medications that you are allergic to. Doctors must also consider potential allergic interactions based on your known allergies and sensitivities.
- Preventable Drug Interactions: Physicians and pharmacists are responsible for understanding your medical history and current prescriptions. Various drugs, taken at the same time can lead to dangerous and fatal interactions.
- Pharmaceutical Errors: Your physician may write you an appropriate prescription only for a mistake to be made at the pharmacy. A pharmacist may misread a handwritten or electronic prescription. A pharmacist or technician may fill the prescription with the incorrect drug or dose.
- Failure to Prescribe: Many injuries and conditions necessitate medication. For example, an antibiotic may be appropriate for a bacterial infection. A physician may be negligent for failing to prescribe you the proper medication to treat your injury or condition.
- Failure to Administer: When you are on a certain drug regimen, you must receive the drug at certain times for it to be most effective. If a nurse or doctor fails to administer a drug when necessary, you may suffer a complication, or the treatment may be ineffective.
- Improper Administration: Many prescription medications must be administered in a certain way, at certain times, and in certain doses. If a nurse or physician administers a drug to you improperly, you could suffer a serious injury.
- Failure to Monitor: Physicians are responsible for monitoring their patients who are on certain drug regimens to prevent complications.
Were You Injured by a Serious Medication Error?
If you believe that you or a loved one were harmed by a serious medication error, do not hesitate to contact a Maui medication error lawyer. At Menzer Law Firm, our lawyers are highly experienced in investigating and successfully litigating medication malpractice cases.
We will retain an experienced medical professional to review your medical records. A certificate of consultation is a required component of pursuing a medical malpractice claim in Hawaii. The expert will be in the same area of medicine as the responsible provider, such as a general practitioner, oncologist, pharmacist, or psychiatrist.
If we determine you were injured by a medication mistake that constitutes medical malpractice, we will file a claim with the Medical Inquiry and Conciliation Panel (MICP). This step is required by law. The MICP is a non-binding procedure that gives you the opportunity to negotiate a settlement.
If we are unable to resolve your claim during the MICP conciliation process, then we will be prepared to file a medication malpractice lawsuit and pursue full and fair compensation for all of your injuries and damages.
Call Menzer Law Firm for Advice Today
Medical malpractice claims based on medication errors can be complicated. We recommend you work with an experienced Maui medical malpractice attorney at Menzer Law Firm to investigate the medication error and your injuries, retain the necessary expert witnesses, and advise you of your legal options.
The attorneys at Menzer Law Firm have decades of experience handling medical malpractice cases. Together, they handle medical torts arising on Maui and all the Hawaiian islands.
Call us today at 808-400-3726 or use our online form to schedule a free consultation. We accept cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront fees.
