Fetterman and Associates fettermanlawteam.tumblr.com /post/141536706867/13-stats-about-pet-medication-errors-you-probably When most people take prescription medication, they do so with the belief that the medicine is safe. We hear about medical and prescription errors that happen all the time. But what about pet prescriptions and medications? The same errors can be made. As West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers, we see many injuries caused by defective drugs and prescription errors—for both humans and pets! Prescription Drug Errors: More Common Than You Might Think Sadly, drug errors and prescription drug interactions happen more often than you might think. In fact, more people die due to drug interactions every year than they do in motor vehicle accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 34,000 people die each year in car crashes. Read more about car crashes here. By contrast, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that 100,000 people are killed every year by drug interactions. Another 2 million people experience serious or life-threatening complications caused by prescription drug interactions.
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The CDC also says that drug interactions cost the American public $3.5 billion in unnecessary healthcare costs annually. Check out the CDC site for more information on the statistics of car accidents and prescription and drug errors. What Is a Drug Interaction? Drug interactions can happen any time a drug interacts with another drug, when a drug interacts with food, or when an individual with a medical condition experiences an adverse event after taking a drug. In some situations, a drug interaction can be fatal. Moreover, drug interactions do not just happen to people. Pets can also experience serious and fatal drug interactions. According to the FDA, drug errors among pets are easy to make. Unclear medical abbreviations, confusing dosing instructions, and poor penmanship are all reasons for pet-related drug interactions. Visit here to read more about pet-related drug interactions and errors. Drug Interactions Are Preventable According to the CDC, 40 percent of all drug interactions that occur outside a hospital setting can be prevented. The agency has been aggressive about pushing for an increase in public education programs, better drug controls, and more accurate labeling as a way of preventing drug interactions. Also, pharmacists, doctors, and other medical professionals can stop drug interactions in their tracks by making sure patients get the right medication and the correct dosage. Health care professionals should also take extra care to discuss all medications with patients and double check patients’ medical history to make sure there are no contraindications for prescribing and dispensing certain drugs. Whether the patient has two legs or four, there are also several ways patients can make sure they stay safe while taking medications. Here are several questions to ask before taking a prescription drug: Ask the name of the drug Ask what the medication is supposed to do and what effect it should have on the body Ask how much of the drug you should take Ask how often you should take the drug Ask whether you should take the drug before, during, or after a meal Ask how you should store the drug – in a dry place or in the refrigerator
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Ask whether it is important to finish the medication Ask about reactions you should look for Additionally, patients should do the following: Keep a thorough list of all medications Keep track of any over-the-counter drugs Talk to your doctor or vet about allergies Make sure to discuss any chronic health problems or past health concerns Store all medications in a safe place, where they can’t be accessed by young children or pets Do not dispense human drugs to your pet unless instructed to do so by a doctor or vet You can also check for possible drug interactions online by using the FDA’s drug interactions checker. The drug interactions checker gives detailed information about drug interactions, the level of significance of the interaction, and can even give you recommendations about what to do if you suffer an interaction. Who Is Responsible for Injuries? In any drug-related injury case, a critical first step is determining who is responsible for the injury. There may be a variety of potential defendants, as prescription drugs touch a lot of hands before finding their way into the patient’s hands (or pet’s paws). Drug Manufacturers Drug manufacturers actually make the medications. Although they are required by law to perform testing and must obtain FDA approval before putting a drug on store shelves, manufacturers are still legally responsible for injuries caused by their products. A drug may be defective because the manufacturer neglected to perform thorough tests. In other cases, a drug maker may sell a product that became flawed during the manufacturing process. Drug makers have also been found liable for injuries caused by inadequate warning labels. Physicians and Health Professionals Drug interactions and medication errors can also be the result of negligent prescribing. A 2006 study showed that 1.5 million Americans are injured by prescription errors every year. These mistakes can happen when a physician or other health professional prescribes or dispenses the wrong dose or gives a patient an incorrect medication. Doctors and other professionals in the healthcare industry also have a duty of care to check for drug interactions. If the medication is being dispensed or prescribed by a health professional, they also have a duty to make sure the patient gets the correct medication and an accurate dose.
Working with a Team of West Palm Beach Personal Injury Lawyers If you or your pet have been injured by a defective or dangerous drug, or you have suffered an injury due to a medication error, it is very important to speak to a West Palm Beach personal injury lawyer about your case. Drug interactions and medication mistakes can happen to humans and animals alike. If you or your pet have been hurt by a mistake in prescribing or dispensing, you have important rights. You may be entitled to damages for your financial losses, pain and suffering, physical harm, lost wages, loss of companionship, and other damages.
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Watch this quick video to learn more about pet prescription medication errors and how working with a team of West Palm Beach personal injury attorney can help.
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