Client: Laurie Robbins, P.A.
Copyright 2008 Laurie Robbins, P.A.
Medication Mistakes
In Atlanta, Georgia
Errors in medication stem from a number of problems that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is making great efforts to fix. Medication mistakes are a form of medical malpractice that can be prosecuted depending on the circumstances. Robbins & Associates of Atlanta, Georgia can help you determine if you have a case.
Causes of Errors
These events can occur in a number of circumstances such as:
� Prescribing
� Order communication
� Product labeling
� Packaging
� Compounding
� Dispensing
� Distribution
� Administration
� Education
� Monitoring
� Patient use
According to the American Hospital Association, the following situations are typical causes for medical errors:
� Incomplete medical information about the patient such as allergies, other medications, previous diagnoses and lab results
� Unavailable drug information such as lack of up-to-date warnings
� Miscommunication of drug orders due to poor handwriting, confusion between similar names, misuse of zeros and decimal points, confusion of metric and other dosing units and improper abbreviations
� Lack of appropriate labeling in drug preparation and packaging
� Environmental factors like lighting, heat, noise, interruptions that distract focus from medication preparation
FDA Preventive Measures
The FDA receives reports about medication errors on many marketed human drugs. These include:
� Prescription name brand drugs
� Prescription generic drugs
� Over-the-counter drugs
� Non-vaccine biological products and devices
A medication mistake is defined as �any preventable event that may cause or lead to improper medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient or consumer�.
The FDA is attempting to minimize the occurrences of drug name confusion. They review approximately four hundred drug names each year that are submitted as proposed brand names. About one third of the names are rejected. They also review about 1,400 medication error reports each month to determine the cause and type of error.
FDA regulations require all over-the-counter (OTC) drug products to have a form of standardized label containing facts about the drug. They have also been responsible for improving package inserts provided to health care professionals.
Labeling and packaging materials are being changed to prevent medication mistakes caused by similar-looking packaging. In 2004, the FDA began requiring bar code labels on certain products. The bar codes are a way to ensure correct drugs, dosages, times to take medications and the right patients taking them.
Almost half of the population takes a minimum of one prescription drug on a daily basis. Another one in six take at least three medications every day. In efforts to improve public knowledge, the FDA issues public health advisories, medication guides and outreach partnerships with other organizations.
For more information about medical mistakes in Atlanta or anywhere else in Georgia, please contact Robbins & Associates law firm today.