Taking medication means altering the balance of chemicals in our bodies. To do so safely, the doctor, the patient, and the pharmacist should fully understand the risks and benefits of the medication.
Pharmaceutical injuries may be physical, psychological, or emotional. Over-the-counter medications or prescription drugs may cause the injury. Pharmaceutical injuries occur when a patient takes a defective drug, receives improper dosage directions, or the doctor prescribes the wrong drug. Errors that may at first appear minor have the potential to have devastating consequences. A National Institutes of Health study found that medication errors harm around 1.5 million people every year.
Medication injuries can occur in various ways, including:
Drugs with manufacturing defects. Drugs may become corrupted during production, in the laboratory, pharmacy, or even while it was shipped.
Pharmaceutical drugs with hazardous side effects. Even a properly manufactured medication can have side effects that carry a certain risk for injury. In some cases, drug companies try to avoid putting serious side effects on a drug’s label or instructions because they are afraid people will not use it. If there are serious or concerning side effects, the doctors and patients may seek a medication with the same benefits but less risk, so failure to warn has a financial incentive. In some cases, the drug has been on the market for a long time before the discovery of the side effect.
Pharmaceutical drugs that are improperly marketed. The instructions, recommendations, or warnings on medication are incredibly important. Physicians and patients rely upon this information when making important health decisions. Incorrect or insufficient information can lead to injuries such as an overdose or devastating side effects.
Prescription errors. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews medication error reports from drug manufacturers and MedWatch. According to the FDA, 41 percent of fatal medication errors were the result of incorrect dosage of a drug. Prescribing the wrong drug or using an improper type of administration caused 16 percent of medication errors.