Bensenville, IL Medication Error Attorneys

Lawyers in DuPage County for Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Mistakes

Every year in the United States, thousands of individuals are negatively affected by mistakes related to their prescription medications. The physical consequences of medication errors are certainly dangerous, and could even be life-threatening, but the worst part of such situations is that a medication mistake is nearly always preventable.

At the Bensenville, IL firm of Kaiser Law, our experienced medical malpractice lawyers have been serving clients in Cook County and DuPage County since 1990. We recognize that negligence on the part of a nurse, doctor, pharmacist, or pharmacy technician can lead to pharmaceutical mistakes that cause patients to suffer serious injury or death. If you have suffered any type of injury or illness because of an error regarding your medication, our team is dedicated to getting you the full compensation you deserve.

Medical Staff Medication Errors

Pharmaceutical errors can happen in many different ways, beginning with the initial interaction between the doctor and the patient. Presuming that the physician has properly diagnosed the patient's medical condition, the doctor could be negligent if he or she:

• Prescribed the wrong medication for treating the patient's condition
• Prescribed the wrong dose or frequency of the right medication, leading to the patient taking too much of the medication
• Failed to carefully review the patient's medical history, including other drugs the patient is currently taking and allergies to particular medications
• Prescribed the "off-label" use of a medication

When a drug is used "off-label," it means that the drug is approved for the treatment of certain conditions but the doctor is prescribing it to treat a condition for which the medication is not formally approved. Prescribing the off-label use of medications is very dangerous.

At many doctors' offices, nurses and other staff members commonly call their patients' prescriptions in to the pharmacy or use an online system to do so. Miscommunication between doctors and nurses can cause errors, as can miscommunication between the nurses and the pharmacy. Medication mistakes can also occur in a hospital setting or a nursing home if proper protocols are not followed.

Pharmacy Mistakes

Doctors and their staff members are responsible for a large number of medication errors, but negligence and carelessness can also occur at the pharmacy itself. In addition to negligent communication with a doctor's office, a pharmacy could be held responsible for mistakes such as:

• Misreading the doctor's written prescription
• Dispensing a prescription drug without a valid prescription
• Dispensing a drug with a similar sounding name instead of the prescribed medication
• Dispensing a generic when the doctor prescribed a brand-name medication
• Dispensing the wrong dosage or strength of the medication
• Mislabeled prescription bottles
• Failing to follow proper identification procedures at pickup

Any negligent error by pharmacy staff that leads to a patient getting the wrong type, dose, or amount of medication could leave the pharmacy liable for malpractice.

Protecting Your Rights in Cook County

Recovering damages for a pharmaceutical error starts with proving that substandard care by the pharmacy or a medical professional caused the mistake. At Kaiser Law, our attorneys will carefully investigate the circumstances of your situation to establish how the error happened and the party or parties who contributed to the error. Our team maintains a reliable network of medical experts, including physicians, pharmacists, and other professionals whose training and knowledge is often critical in proving medical negligence. Regardless of how complicated your case may be, we will remain at your side every step of the way. Our primary goal is to get you the compensation you need to start putting your life back together again.

Contact Our Firm Today

At Kaiser Law, we work hard to protect the rights of those who have suffered due to the negligence of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. If you have questions about recovering damages for the losses you have suffered, contact our office. Call 630-274-4400 for a free, no-obligation consultation and case evaluation today. We serve clients in Bensenville, Addison, Elmhurst, Wood Dale, Elk Grove Village, Franklin Park, Des Plaines, DuPage County, Cook County, and the surrounding areas.