When you go to the doctor’s office or hospital for treatment, you expect a high level of care. Competent medical professionals should give you the right diagnosis and provide effective medical treatment. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. If you suffered the ill effects of taking the wrong medication, you may have grounds to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Different people could be responsible in this suit. A skilled medical malpractice attorney, like a medical malpractice attorney can help you pursue legal action against the correct individuals.
The Nurse
Usually, it is a nurse who will administer the drug. This may be from an IV or injection, though it may also come in pill or liquid form. The doctor will prescribe the drug, but it is possible that the nurse read the order incorrectly and administered the wrong medication. In a situation like this, you could hold the nurse liable and sue him or her for medical malpractice. You could also sue if the nurse gave you the wrong dosage of the right medication.
The Doctor
A qualified physician should have the right knowledge and training to give you the medication you need. Every medication has the risk of presenting side effects, though the doctor should explain these to you. If a doctor makes an error in judgment and gives you something that causes harm, you could file a medical malpractice suit. Though incredibly rare, it’s possible that the doctor knowingly gave you the incorrect drug with the intention of hurting you.
The Pharmacist
In some situations, the doctor may call in a prescription to a hospital pharmacy or one in the area. You would pick up the drug on your own, but you expect it to be what the doctor ordered. If the pharmacist read the prescription wrong or mixed up your prescription with someone else’s, the effects could be disastrous. A lawsuit, in this case, could be warranted, as would one where the pharmacist intentionally gave you a different medication.
The Drug Company
A fourth party could possibly be the reason for your negative reaction to a medication. The company that manufactured the drug may have done so knowing that it had potential safety issues. Perhaps the company failed to disclose certain side effects. There could have been some hazardous materials in the batch of the drug you got. In any of these scenarios, your attorney could show that the company was to blame.
In a medical malpractice case, your lawyer will work hard to determine why you got the wrong drug. Consider all of these parties if you intend to sue for this reason.