Mobile, AL Medication Errors / Prescription Malpractice Lawyers  

Medication errors pose a significant public health issue, impacting residents of Mobile, Alabama, with preventable harm occurring annually due to mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, or administering medications. These errors can transform reliable medical treatment into a cause of injury, prolonged sickness, or even death.  

Medication errors are defined as any avoidable event that could lead to improper medication use or harm while the medication is managed by healthcare professionals, patients, or consumers. Prescription malpractice, a specific form of this, involves negligence by a healthcare provider in the prescribing or dispensing of medication, stemming from various factors like human error, system breakdowns, or poor communication among healthcare providers. 

Types of Medication Errors and Prescription Malpractice  

The various categories of medication errors are vital for individuals to determine if they or their loved ones have been affected by such an incident. These errors can manifest at any stage of the medication process, beginning with the initial prescription and extending through administration and subsequent monitoring. Each distinct type of error carries a significant risk of causing harm to the patient. 

Prescribing Errors: These errors originate with the prescribing healthcare provider and involve negligence in the selection or specification of a medication. 

• Wrong Drug: This involves selecting a medication that is not therapeutically appropriate for the patient’s specific diagnosed medical condition. This could be due to a misdiagnosis, a misunderstanding of the patient’s needs, or simply a mistake in selecting the drug name. 

• Incorrect Dosage: This entails prescribing a dose of the correct medication that is either too high or too low to achieve the desired therapeutic effect, or specifying an inappropriate frequency for its administration. Factors contributing to this error can include miscalculation based on patient weight or renal function, or a simple oversight. 

• Wrong Route of Administration: This occurs when the prescribed method of administering the medication is unsuitable for the drug or the patient’s condition (for example, prescribing an oral medication when an intravenous form is necessary for effective treatment or the patient cannot swallow). 

• Allergies Not Considered: This involves prescribing a medication to a patient with a known history of allergy to that particular drug or a related substance, despite the allergy being documented in their medical records. 

• Drug Interactions Overlooked: This error happens when the prescriber fails to identify and account for potentially harmful interactions between the newly prescribed medication and other drugs (prescription, over-the-counter, or supplements) the patient is already taking. These interactions can reduce the effectiveness of one or both medications or lead to dangerous side effects. 

• Illegible Handwriting or Unclear Electronic Orders: Poor handwriting on a prescription or ambiguous instructions in an electronic order can lead to misinterpretation by the pharmacist or nurse responsible for dispensing or administering the medication, resulting in a different type of error. 

Dispensing Errors: These errors take place at the pharmacy when the medication is being prepared and provided to the patient. 

• Wrong Medication Dispensed: This is a critical error where the patient receives a completely different drug than what was prescribed by their healthcare provider. This can have severe consequences depending on the intended use and pharmacological properties of the incorrectly dispensed medication. 

• Incorrect Dosage Dispensed: In this case, the pharmacy provides the correct medication but in the wrong strength or quantity compared to the prescription. This can lead to under-treatment or an increased risk of adverse effects. 

• Mislabeling: This involves errors on the medication label, such as an incorrect patient name, wrong drug name, incorrect dosage instructions, or inaccurate directions for use. Such errors can confuse the patient and lead to improper medication intake. 

• Failure to Provide Proper Instructions or Warnings: Pharmacists have a responsibility to counsel patients on how to take their medication correctly, including potential side effects, important precautions, and possible drug or food interactions. Failure to provide adequate counseling or necessary warnings constitutes a dispensing error. 

• Dispensing Expired Medication: Providing patients with drugs that have passed their expiration date can result in reduced efficacy or even harmful chemical changes in the medication. 

Administration Errors: These errors typically occur in healthcare settings like hospitals, clinics, or nursing homes when the medication is directly given to the patient by a healthcare professional. 

• Wrong Drug Given to the Patient: This involves administering a medication to a patient that was intended for another individual, often due to inadequate patient identification procedures or mix-ups in medication carts. 

• Incorrect Dosage Administered: This occurs when the patient receives a dose of the medication that is higher or lower than what was prescribed. This can be due to misreading the medication order, using incorrect measuring devices, or calculation errors. 

• Wrong Route of Administration: This involves using an incorrect method to administer the drug (e.g., administering an oral medication intravenously or vice versa), which can significantly alter the drug’s absorption and effects, potentially leading to serious complications. 

• Wrong Time of Administration: Giving a medication too early, too late, or at a frequency that differs from the prescribed schedule can affect the drug’s therapeutic levels in the body and impact its effectiveness. 

• Failure to Follow Proper Procedures: This includes not adhering to established safety protocols for medication administration, such as failing to verify patient identity using multiple identifiers, not properly documenting the administration, or neglecting to follow sterile techniques when required. 

Monitoring Errors: These errors involve a failure to adequately observe and assess the patient after a medication has been administered to ensure its safety and effectiveness. 

• Failure to Adequately Monitor for Side Effects: Certain medications carry known risks of adverse reactions. Healthcare providers have a responsibility to monitor patients, especially those on high-risk medications, for any signs or symptoms of these side effects. Failure to do so can delay necessary interventions and lead to more severe health consequences. 

• Failure to React to Signs of an Adverse Reaction: Even when monitoring occurs, a failure to recognize or take appropriate action in response to a patient exhibiting signs of a negative drug interaction or adverse effect constitutes a monitoring error. This can result in prolonged suffering and further harm. 

• Failure to Monitor Therapeutic Effectiveness: Healthcare providers should assess whether the medication is achieving its intended therapeutic goals. Failure to monitor for effectiveness can lead to prolonged treatment with an ineffective medication, potentially delaying the use of a more appropriate therapy and allowing the patient’s condition to worsen. 

Medication errors can lead to severe health consequences, including new medical issues, worsening existing conditions, allergic reactions, organ damage, prolonged recovery, increased medical expenses, disability, and death. Recognizing these errors is crucial for identifying potential medical negligence. 

Who Can Be Held Liable in Mobile, Alabama?  

When a medication error causes harm in Mobile, several parties may bear legal responsibility. The determination of liability hinges on establishing that a healthcare provider or institution failed to meet the accepted “duty of care” and that this breach directly resulted in the patient’s injuries. 

• Physicians: Doctors have a duty to prescribe medications appropriately. This includes selecting the correct drug and dosage, considering the patient’s medical history and allergies, and being aware of potential drug interactions. If a Mobile physician negligently prescribes a medication leading to harm, they can be held liable. 

• Pharmacists and Pharmacies: Pharmacists in Mobile are responsible for accurately dispensing medications as prescribed. Their duty also extends to identifying potential problems with a prescription, such as clear errors in dosage, potential interactions, or contraindications based on the patient’s profile. They also have a duty to provide adequate counseling. Pharmacies can be liable for the negligence of their pharmacists or for systemic issues like understaffing or poor procedures that contribute to errors. 

• Nurses and Hospitals: Nurses who administer medications in Mobile hospitals and other healthcare settings must follow doctors’ orders precisely and adhere to established safety protocols. This includes verifying patient identity, ensuring correct medication and dosage, and administering the drug via the proper route and at the scheduled time. Hospitals can be held liable for the negligence of their nursing staff (vicarious liability) or for their own institutional negligence, such as failing to implement adequate medication safety systems, providing insufficient staff training, or fostering an environment where errors are more likely. 

• Healthcare Systems: Larger healthcare systems or hospital groups can also be held liable if systemic failures contribute to medication errors. This could involve flawed electronic health record systems, inadequate policies and procedures for medication management, poor communication channels between departments, or a failure to address known safety risks. 

In Alabama, healthcare providers have a “duty of care” to provide treatment with the skill and diligence of a reasonably prudent professional in the same field. Failure to meet this standard that directly results in patient injury is medical negligence, often requiring investigation and expert testimony to prove. 

Preventing Medication Errors: What Mobile Patients Can Do  

While healthcare providers bear the primary responsibility for medication safety, patients in Mobile can also take proactive steps to help minimize their risk of becoming a victim of a medication error. Being an informed and active participant in your healthcare is a powerful preventative measure. 

Maintain an Updated List: Keep a comprehensive and current list of all medications you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Note the dosage, frequency, and reason for taking each one. Also, maintain a list of any known drug allergies or adverse reactions you have experienced. Share this list with all your healthcare providers and pharmacists. 

Clearly Communicate with Doctors and Pharmacists: Do not hesitate to speak up and provide your complete medical history to every healthcare professional involved in your care. Inform them of any new conditions, symptoms, or concerns you have. 

Ask Questions About Your Medications: When prescribed a new medication, ask your Mobile doctor and pharmacist key questions: 

• What is the name of the medication (brand and generic)? 

• What is it supposed to do? 

• How and when should I take it, and for how long? 

• What is the exact dosage? 

• What are the common potential side effects or interactions I should watch for? 

• What should I do if I miss a dose? 

• Are there any foods, drinks, activities, or other medications I should avoid while taking this? 

• How should I store the medication? 

Double-Check Prescriptions Before Leaving the Pharmacy: When you pick up your prescription from a Mobile pharmacy, verify that it is the correct medication, dosage, and that the label has your name and your doctor’s name on it. If anything seems unclear or different from what you expected, ask the pharmacist to clarify immediately. 

Ensure Medication Labels Match the Doctor’s Instructions: Compare the instructions on the medication label with what your doctor told you. If there are discrepancies, contact your doctor or pharmacist for clarification before taking the medication. 

Report Any Concerns or Discrepancies Immediately: If you believe you have received the wrong medication, an incorrect dose, or are experiencing unexpected side effects, contact your doctor or pharmacist without delay. Do not assume a problem will simply go away. 

Consider Using a Single Pharmacy: When possible, try to fill all your prescriptions at one Mobile pharmacy. This allows the pharmacist to have a more complete record of your medications, making it easier to identify potential drug interactions or other problems. 

By taking these steps, Mobile patients can play an active role in their medication safety and partner with their healthcare providers to reduce the likelihood of errors. 

Harmed by a Medication Error in Mobile? Let Us Help. 

Medication errors significantly impact the Mobile community, causing preventable harm. If you or a loved one has experienced a medication error, the Law Office of J. Allan Brown, L.L.C., offers dedicated advocacy for Mobile residents. Our experienced team provides a comprehensive and compassionate approach to evaluate your case and navigate the legal process. Contact us today for a free consultation to explore your options and pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.