When someone is sick in New York, they will generally visit the doctor or the Emergency Room, depending on their individual situation and the time of day or night it is. Further, patients expect the the medical professionals they see will be able to safely and effectively nurse them back to health. In some cases, this may require a shot in the office, a dose of antibiotics or even a prescription narcotic for pain. However, doctors see hundreds of patients in any given day, and unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a prescription error to occur.
In fact, according to a recent analysis of death certificates, the United States has seen an increase over the past couple of decades in relation to at-home deaths regarding legally prescribed medications. In some cases,a mixture of a variety of prescription medications, along with street drugs and alcohol, was involved. Many people do not understand the risks associated with mixing alcohol or other drugs with certain medications.
A quarter-century ago, prescription narcotics were primarily provided at the hospital. Now, prescriptions can be given so that patients can administer pain medications to themselves from the comfort of their own home. Unfortunately, this could be one of the reasons an increase in deaths has occurred. In 1983, there were just over 1,100 deaths associated with at-home medication errors. That number drastically jumped to nearly 12,500 in 2004.
Although medical professionals cannot keep patients from sharing their prescriptions, they can ensure that patients are given the appropriate drug and dosage. Further, they can provide additional education to ensure that patients truly understand the dangers of mixing different drugs and mixing medications with alcohol. When a prescription error is made on the part of the medical professional and seriously injuries or kills a patient in New York, the doctor and/or pharmacist may be held liable for the harm that their mistake caused. A successfully litigated claim could result in an award of damages to help a injured party, or a family in the case of death, recover the financial losses caused by the error.
Source: States Chronicle, Home deaths from drug errors soar, James Faulkner, Feb. 27, 2014
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