If you’re in the hospital or visiting your doctor, you may be administered certain medications or prescribed those medications to take at home. You expect that your doctor will know how these medications interact with each other and will give you treatment options that will not have harmful effects.
After all, there are some very dangerous and potentially fatal drug combinations. Examples include:
- Painkillers and supplements
- Opioids and alcohol
- Alcohol and benzodiazepines
- Antidepressants and methadone
- Antibiotics and oral contraceptives
- Alcohol and prescription stimulants
- ACE inhibitors and nasal decongestants
- Coumadin and aspirin
Additionally, a doctor needs to think about a patient’s file and what they are allergic to. Some medications are completely safe for certain individuals and can be deadly for others. Doctors need to be aware of the specific effects of the medication they’re prescribing to that unique patient.
Why would doctors make this mistake?
Mistakes with medications can be made for many different reasons. It could be as simple as a doctor failing to read a chart. It could be a situation where patient records get mixed up, or even where medications are mixed up and administered to the wrong individuals. For instance, maybe the drugs that your doctor prescribed would’ve been safe, but the nurse accidentally gave you one medication intended for another patient that could have a fatal interaction that neither you nor your doctor ever intended.
In other words, there are a lot of moving parts in a medical center and a lot of areas where simple mistakes could have a drastic impact on someone’s life. If you have suffered harm or even lost a loved one due to medical malpractice, make sure you are well aware of the legal options at your disposal
