You cannot turn on the TV without seeing an advertisement for some kind of medication. Many people in our society rely on these medications to help them enjoy a higher quality of life. In fact, for so many people these medications are lifesaving. While we know there are risks and side effects to all medications, we should not have to worry about negligence on the part of a pharmaceutical company, doctor, or pharmacist.
If you or a loved one have been harmed due to a medication mistake, you may need to secure a pharmaceutical attorney. At SMT Legal, we are ready to help you through this.
What Can Happen
We go to the doctor, get a prescription, then head over to the pharmacy to pick it up. Most of the time, the process seems simple for us, but there is actually a lot going on behind the scenes: the official order from the doctor has to arrive at the pharmacy, a pharmacist has to look at it and make sure everything is okay, and then likely gets handed over to a pharmacy technician to fill. From there, the correct medication has to be put into the bottle, the label with correct dosage information will be applied, and the pharmacist will check to ensure everything is correct.
Most of us just assume that everything has been done correctly, but do we really know?
We bring this up because we usually have no part to play when it comes to receiving medications from healthcare professionals. We trust them, but did you know that medication errors can happen anywhere in the distribution system and cause harm to as many as 1.5 million people each year in the US.
We see many medication errors happen in the following ways:
- Wrong medication given to patient
- Wrong dosage given to patient
- Given another person’s medication
- Given a medication when allergic
- Adverse drug reactions
- Failure to warn of side effects
There are even studies that show up to 30 percent of patients have one or more medical mistakes on the hospital discharge papers.
Pharmaceutical Companies
If a pharmaceutical company has allowed a faulty or contaminated drug to hit the market, then it needs to be held accountable. Often, a company does not know about a problem with their product until after it has been sold to millions of consumers. Other times, though, they know there are more risks than they admit but still push for it to be approved and sold.
Where You Can Turn
If you or someone you love has been the victim of a medication error, you may be confused and wonder if you have many options. You do have options and at SMT Legal, we are ready to help. Our team will work tirelessly to secure the compensation you need. This can include:
- Coverage of your medical expenses
- Pain and suffering damages
- Lost income if you cannot work
- Punitive damages
