Drug Reactions and Medical Malpractice
Adverse drug reactions are a common subject of medical malpractice suits. Doctors must be extremely careful when prescribing medications to patients not only because certain patients may be allergic to certain drugs or be susceptible to bad reactions because of other pre-existing conditions, but also because some medicines don’t interact well with others the patient may already be taking.
In any of those instances, a patient may experience adverse drug reactions that lead to further injury, illness, or even death, and if a doctor or other medical professional is responsible, there could be a medical malpractice lawsuit.
Accordingly, before prescribing any medication, a doctor should have a patient’s complete medical history, including any known allergies, along with a list of medications the patient is currently taking. If your doctor has not done this, don’t be afraid to speak up as it is always better to prevent potential bad drug reactions before the fact rather than have to fight a lawsuit about them later — in fact, drug reactions can even be deadly, so you may never get the chance.
Although many doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies now use automatic drug interactions checkers, you can never be too sure regarding the medications you’re taking, so do let your doctor know if you feel something is off.
Short of death, some of the most common side effects from adverse drug reactions, which cover a broad range of severity, include the following:
- Anemia
- Birth defects
- Deafness
- Dementia
- Drowsiness
- Fever
- Glaucoma
- Hair loss
- Headache/Migraine
- Heart attack
- Hypertension
- Insomnia
- Liver damage
- Miscarriage
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Rash
- Ruptured tendons
- Uterine hemorrhage
- Seizures
- Stroke
- Systematic organ failure
If you believe you or a loved one may have suffered the effects of an adverse drug reaction, you may consider talking to a medical malpractice lawyer in your area for a consultation. As with any personal injury suit, there is a statute of limitations that puts a time limit on when you can file, so your best bet is to talk to an attorney as soon as possible.