Common types

• Types of Prescription Errors

  Defective drug, medication and prescription errors can generally be separated into two groups. The first case is when the prescription has been wrongly distributed by the pharmacist (prescription and dispensing errors) which has caused illness or injury to the patient. The second category is when the doctor prescribes a wrong prescription for the patient causing severe health issues. Both groups are classed as medical negligence.

• Medication Administration Errors – Combinations

  The majority of medication is harmless to your health when taken by itself, but can react viscously when taken alongside other medicines. Doctors should be knowledgeable of the combinations of medicine that are damaging when prescribed together. Failing to be aware of this can cause severe illness or injury to the patient.

• Incorrect Dosage or Wrong Prescription

  Each individual patient is given a recommended dosage from their doctor. In some circumstances, the doctor can misjudge the dosage that was necessary which may lead to a patient becoming ill due to overdosing on the prescribed medication. In cases where a doctor wrongfully prescribes medication to a person can seriously affect the person’s recovery and progression of their illness or injury.

• Medical Allergy

  The doctor may prescribe medication without checking your medical record which causes serious side effects to your health and can be life-threatening if not acted upon rapidly. This is classed as medical negligence.

• Medication Errors in Hospitals

  Medication errors in hospitals can not only cause further illness by taking the wrong medication but can also result in the original illness not being treated, meaning the condition can deteriorate.

Causes

Below are some prescription error examples which can happen in hospitals, GP surgeries and pharmacies:

• Inadequate Labelling

  A pharmacist or doctor may misread the handwriting on the prescription and dispense the wrong medication or the incorrect amount of dosage. This error may lead to the patient sustaining severe health issues.

• Incorrect Knowledge

  A doctor may decide to make an improper medical decision about what is the appropriate medication and write a prescription for the patient based on this decision. Inadequate awareness of medication names or the wrong knowledge of medical abbreviations can lead to a medication overdose injury.

• Errors in Prescription Writing

  Doctors can make mistakes when writing prescriptions but the mistake may simply be illegible handwriting. In cases where a pharmacist cannot read the doctor’s writing, they may miscalculate a dosage because they cannot make out the dosage amounts which can cause a medication overdose injury. The only way of preventing medication errors like this is for the pharmacist to either contact the doctor or wait until they have clear dosage instructions before dispensing the medicine.