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How do common prescription errors happen?

On Behalf of | Jun 26, 2023 | Malpractice

When getting a prescription drug, you may not think much about whether or not the prescription the doctor gives you is incorrect. After noticing a variety of physical symptoms, you then may worry about how this error occurred.

Learning about prescription errors and understanding how they happen is key after an instance of medical malpractice.

Writing the wrong number

According to the National Library of Medicine, prescription errors may occur when a doctor does not pay attention to what they are doing. They could write down a number they assume is correct but fail to double-check to make sure it is the right dosage. By confusing even one number in a list of dosages, they could leave you with a prescription that is harmful to take.

Forgetting to check other medications you take

When prescribing new medications, negligent doctors may sometimes forget to check if the new dosage works with other drugs you are already taking. If they do not look at what prescriptions you are already on, your new one could interact badly with it when you go to start it.

Misreading words or names

A doctor mixing up a prescription meant for someone else or writing one for a similar-sounding but different medicine can leave you in pain when you take this inaccurate prescription. Whether the office is busy and the doctor becomes overwhelmed or they just are not paying attention, you can still suffer from medical malpractice.

These kinds of prescription errors are important to recognize, since they may not seem noticeable right away.