Medication Errors

Misadministrations of medicine and medication errors are frequent and serious problems at nursing homes. Receiving the wrong medication or not administering the medication in the dosage or frequency as required by the physician’s order occurs as a result of carelessness on the part of the staff, lack of supervision of the nurses administering the medications, or not having enough properly trained and supervised to staff to administer the medications.

Studies have shown that the two most common medical mistakes are:

1. delayed or missed treatment of medication; and

2. the administration of the wrong dose or the wrong medication

Studies also show that nursing home medication error occurrences are widely underreported. It is estimated that only 1.5% of all medication errors are actually reported. Since 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than 95,000 reports of medication errors. These reports are voluntary, so the number of actual medication errors is believed to be higher

Nursing home and medication error risks can be considerable because many patients are on a number of prescriptions and have already compromised physical health conditions. If medication error causes injury to a resident, they have the right to seek compensation for their losses.

The following are the most common types of medication errors:

Medications administered to the wrong patient;
Medications given in an incorrect dose (overdose or inadequate dose);
Failing to monitor the effects of a medication. Many medications like blood thinners (Coumadin, Heparin, Lovenox) require regular laboratory tests;
Administering a medication to a patient who is allergic to the medicine.

In a nursing home or assisted living facility, medications should only be administered under a prescription by a qualified nurse. The standard of care requires the nurse to verify the prescription, the medication, the dose, and the patient before administering each medicine.

Contact our Wisconsin Nursing Home Abuse Attorneys

If you or your loved one is the victim of any type of nursing home abuse or neglect, you must contact an experienced Wisconsin personal injury attorneynursing home attorney to protect your the resident’s rights, and make sure theyyou receive compensation for harm suffered at the nursing home.

Taking legal action against an abusive or negligent nursing home is one of the best waysone of the best ways to raise awareness, improve quality of care and effectively improve the life of your loved one and other victims of nursing home abuse/negligence.

At Pitman, Kyle, Sicula & Dentice, we are dedicated to preventing negligence and abuse from occurring in nursing homes. Our Wisconsin nursing home negligence attorneys are experts in this complicated area of the law, and work relentlessly to hold nursing homes accountable.

We work with a team of medical experts, investigators, and other attorneys toOur team of attorneys, nurse attorneys and paralegals handles the largest volume of nursing home cases in Wisconsin. Our team helps clients and their families obtain financial restitution for their pain, suffering, financial loss, and medical expenses. We provide each client with extensive resources, aggressive representation, personalized attention and compassionate legal care.

If you are in need of a Wisconsin nursing home attorney, contact Pitman, Kyle, Sicula & Dentice, S.C. today for your free consultation at (800) 950-9882.

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Medication Errors

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