Negligent Administration of Drugs

If used properly, prescription and over-the-counter medication can be extremely beneficial in treating a variety of medical conditions. If the medication is not used or administered properly, the result can be catastrophic for your health, and could even result in death. When you or a loved one has been injured because of the negligent administration of drugs, you should consider speaking with a Maine negligent administration of drugs attorney right away to find out if you may be entitled to compensation.

The negligent administration of drugs is conduct that falls below the standard of care for a particular medical professional. Such negligence can occur in many different ways, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Administering the wrong dose of a particular drug to a patient;
• Administering the wrong drug entirely to a patient;
• Failing to determine if a patient has any drug allergies prior to administering a particular drug;
• Failing to determine if there are any drug interactions that could harm a patient;
• Having the wrong label on a prescribed medication;
• Failing to inform a patient about the potential dangerous side effects of a prescribed medication;
• Failing to provide a patient with instructions for how to use the medication; and
• Administering intravenous medication too quickly, causing a patient to have an adverse reaction to the drug.

Whether you are being treated in a hospital, obtaining a prescription from your doctor, or picking up your prescription at your pharmacy, you are relying on medical professionals to administer your medication properly. Even the smallest mistake can end tragically for a patient. The medical professionals providing you with treatment have a duty to ensure the medication you are receiving is exactly as prescribed by your physician.

Injuries and illnesses caused by the negligent administration of drugs include, but are definitely not limited to, the following:

• Allergic reactions, such as the formation of a rash, anaphylaxis, heart trouble, among many others;
• Overdose, potentially resulting in death;
• Adverse reactions from the interaction of multiple drugs taken by the patient; and
• Adverse reactions from the prescribed medication itself, such as heart failure, suffering a stroke, blood clots, seizures, among many others

In order to determine if you or a loved one has suffered an injury that was caused by the negligent administration of drugs, it is essential that you allow an experienced Maine negligent administration of drugs attorney to evaluate your potential case in detail.

Because there are a number of factors that come into play when establishing the cause of the injuries, it takes careful attention to investigate if and how a particular medication was administered negligently. Some cases are much easier than others. For example, if there is clear evidence that a patient was given the wrong dose of a particular medication, then any injury suffered because of this may easily be linked to a medical professional’s negligent conduct. However, if a patient takes multiple medications, it may be a little more difficult to prove that injuries resulted from the negligent administration of a particular drug. It takes a dedicated and seasoned attorney to thoroughly review medical and pharmacy records to determine if you or your loved one is entitled to compensation due to injuries suffered as a result of the negligent administration of drugs.

The skilled and dedicated injury attorneys of Peter Thompson & Associates devote their careers to helping injured individuals receive the compensation they deserve when they have been wrongfully harmed. Our law firm provides legal services to residents all across the state of Maine, with three convenient offices located in Portland, which is our main office, Falmouth, and Bangor. If you or a loved one has been injured because of the negligent administration of drugs, contact Peter Thompson & Associates today by calling toll-free at 1 800.804.2004 to schedule a consultation, or you may contact us online and we will respond to you as soon as possible.