In such a rapidly advancing world, prescription medications have become a necessity in a lot of ways. They provide patients all over the country with much-needed pain relief, the ability to manage psychological disorders, and most importantly, a way to treat serious illnesses. Despite all of the miraculous abilities of modern medicine, however, when administered incorrectly and/or misused, the consequences can be deadly. For this reason, it is vitally important for pharmacists and patients alike to take precaution when dealing with any type of potentially dangerous drug.
According to recent statistics, nearly 15 million medication errors occur throughout the United States each year. For a wide array of reasons, these mistakes can have life-threatening results. On one side, pharmacy malpractice may be to blame, while oppositely, patient misuse can be just as dangerous. Unfortunately, pharmacist error is more common than most would think—occurring when inexperience and/or carelessness lead them to administer a fatal combination of drugs or even the wrong type of medication. When this happens, a patient often has no idea.
What researchers have begun to find now, however, is that inadequate labeling is leading a large portion of these medication errors, as well. When a patient overlooks important information on their prescription, they may suffer the adverse side-effects. "Experts in packaging and psychology found that prescription drug warning labels fail to capture patients' attention," meaning that vital information can be missed. Because of this, researchers are saying that warning labels should be designed more effectively, with the intention of grabbing the consumers' attention, so that a percentage of medication errors can be avoided.
These studies are providing important insight into how preventable mistakes can be more effectively avoided, especially for the elderly consumers that are more likely to overlook important labels. In one particular study, "experts found that the eye gaze of 50 percent of participants older than 50 years of age failed to notice a warning label on prescription vials." As a result, a large portion of the population is put at risk. If you have become the unfortunate victim of a serious medication error at the hands of a negligent pharmacist or improper labeling, you should not hesitate to exercise your right to pursue legal action.
Take the first step by contacting a knowledgeable attorney from our firm. In doing so, you will be able to review the facts of your case with a professional that fully understands the scope of personal injury law. If you believe that you are entitled to compensation for the harm that you have been forced to endure, you have nothing to lose by contacting our firm today. A dedicated representative is standing by, waiting for your call.