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Can I be prescribed the wrong medication?

On Behalf of | Oct 18, 2018 | Medical Malpractice

Following your trip to your West Virginia doctor, you may receive a drug prescription for your newly diagnosed medical disorder. Naturally, you expect that your physician has done due diligence in making sure you have the correct medication or that your pharmacy will fill the correct order. However, sometimes a patient can end up with the incorrect drug.

The U.S. News World and World Report website lists a number of reasons why a patient might be given a wrong or mislabeled prescription. These can include any of the following:

  • The drug has a name that looks like another drug.
  • The name of the drug looks very similar to another drug.
  • The patient receives the right medicine but the wrong dosage.
  • The drug is correct but the directions to consume it are wrong.

Additionally, you might be prescribed a drug that does not interact well with a drug that you are already taking. For instance, ingesting antihistamine medication while also taking a tranquilizer or a sedative could inhibit your ability to concentrate and make it risky to operate an automobile.

While prescription drug errors are not common at all, they do still happen at a rate of 2 percent. To decrease the chances that you will end up with the wrong drug, check to make sure that your doctor has your full medical history and is informed sufficiently to know what kind of drug you need. You can also discuss your prescription with your pharmacist before you leave your pharmacy.

Be aware that this article is not written to provide you with legal advice. It is intended to educate West Virginians on the subject of medical malpractice.