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Medication Errors at Home on the Rise
A new study published by the medical journal Clinical Toxicology has found that medication errors are happening more and more while a patient is in the comfort of their home. The study found that there are several reasons for this, including mistakenly taking the wrong dose, not waiting long enough to take another dose, or other preventable errors.
The FDA estimates that about 1.3 million people are injured by medication errors in the US alone annually. The new study analyzed data collected by poison centers and looked at serious injuries and deaths only. The study found that the number of these serious incidents occurring at home had doubled from 3,065 in 2000 to 6,855 in 2012. The study found that most of the mistakes made were preventable.
The study found that the leading culprit were cardiovascular drugs, followed by pain killers. Cardiovascular drugs accounted for 21% of the adverse serious healthcare outcomes in the study. It is important to know that if a healthcare provider made an error with your medication or a loved one, you may have a claim for damages.