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Medication Error a Widespread Problem

With clinicians having access to more than 10,000 prescription drugs in the U.S. and a third of American adults taking five or more medications, errors are bound to happen. However, medication errors are topping the ranks where more people die annually from a medication error than from workplace injuries.

What is a Medication Error?

The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention, NCC MERP, defines a medication error as any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.

The preventable event may be related to:

  • Professional practice
  • Health care products
  • Product labeling
  • Product packaging and literature
  • Communication
  • Prescribing errors
  • Procedure for obtaining the medication
  • Education related to medication
  • How medication is manufactured or dispensed
  • How medication is distributed
  • How medication is administered

Medication errors have a multitude of areas and means that can occur anywhere along the line from product development, to patient understanding and proper use of prescribed or over-the-counter medications.

Medication Error is ADE

An ADE, or adverse drug event, is defined as harm to a patient that is the result of exposure or use of a medication.  ADE’s account for approximately 700,000 emergency room visits and 100,000 hospitalizations every year. The most common type of hospital inpatient medical error are medication errors that affect around 5% of hospital patients.

Medication Error Has High Cost

While no-one can replace a lost loved one, for those others that are left injured or harmed by a medication the financial cost adds to the tragedy and suffering. Medication errors have become a widespread public problem impacting families all across the U.S. – including Georgia and the Atlanta area.

Medication Error Attorney

If you or your loved one has been harmed by a prescribed or over-the-counter medication, call the expert in medication errors – call the office of Attorney Joel Baskin to discuss your individual situation and potential compensation.

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