According to the Institute of Medicine, medication errors affect more than 1.5 million Americans each year in hospitals alone. Similarly, in a study published by the Journal of American Pharmacists Association in 2003, it was found that American pharmacies make over 30 million drug administration errors a year.
Errors can occur for a multitude of reasons, from prescription drug names that look and sound similar, to incorrect dosage, to drug interactions with previously prescribed medications. It is sometimes an unavoidable accident, but very often it is simple human error.
One of the largest factors in prescription drug error is the multitude of steps that must be followed by hospitals administering drugs in an inpatient capacity. A prescription travels from the doctor to a nurse, who relays the request to the pharmacist, who reviews it and sends the medication back through to the nurse, who finally administers the medication to the patient. Likewise, with outpatient care, hard to decipher handwriting on prescription pads may lead to an incorrect translation by a pharmacist, or when the prescription is called in by phone, a simple miscommunication can have serious consequences. A scary fact is that problems can occur at any point in this chain, which do not account for other problems, such as allergies unbeknownst to either party.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a prescription drug error, there are many options at your disposal. While court trials are long, costly and emotionally difficult for everyone involved, mediation provides an alternative solution for your situation.
At MDRS, our experienced neutrals can assist both parties involved in reaching an agreement in a private and comfortable atmosphere, without all of the added pressure of a drawn out court case. Alternative Dispute Resolution is flexible and tailored to the needs of both parties involved.
