Medication errors can occur at a pharmacy. They can also be the result of administration mistakes made by nurses and other professionals. However, many medication errors occur at the time of prescribing a drug.
Physicians recommending medications to their patients should properly review their medical records first and validate that the prescription is the right treatment option. The unfortunate reality is that many doctors rush through diagnosing their patients, determining treatment options and prescribing medications. They might prescribe a medication that is likely to cause a dangerous drug interaction or an allergic reaction. They might even overlook known contraindications.
Why are prescribing errors so common?
Physicians don’t have time to properly review records
Whether a medical doctor works in an urgent care facility or a family practice, they probably see dozens of people each day. They only have a small amount of time to designate to each patient, which can significantly compromise the standard of care that they provide.
Research shows that many physicians only listen for an average of 11 seconds before interrupting patients. They may not receive the full story about the patient’s condition. They may also rush through the process of reviewing prior records, resulting in them overlooking key details.
Ultimately, doctors can reach the wrong diagnosis by rushing patients through an appointment. They may also fail to look into a patient’s history sufficiently before proposing a treatment plan.
Those affected by medication errors may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Showing that another professional in a negligent provider’s position could have avoided a medication error could be the starting point of a viable malpractice claim.