How can distractions lead to medication errors?

On Behalf of | Jul 21, 2023 | Blog, Medical Malpractice |

During a visit with a doctor, you typically want this professional’s full attention on what you are saying. When distractions happen, it could lead to a more dangerous outcome than you expect when you go to take your prescribed medicine.

Dealing with medication errors includes realizing that medical malpractice issues can arise when you are in the doctor’s office.

Failing to check for other drugs

According to the National Library of Medicine, your doctor should ensure that whatever new medicines or drugs you take, the other ones you are already taking do not interfere with them or cause you harm. Since some drugs do not react well when mixed, this can be a life-threatening problem if the doctor prescribes a dangerous combination.

You may have a doctor who fails to ask you or check your medical history for any complications.

Failing to check the name of the drug

If you get a prescription for a specific drug, you may assume that the doctor wrote the correct name. However, if a doctor is rushing or fails to check for misspellings, they could write an incorrect or similar-sounding drug instead of the one you actually need.

Failing to communicate clearly

As you discuss important personal matters with a doctor, you could notice they are interrupting you to talk to another staff member or merely not listening. This kind of distraction is dangerous when they go to write a prescription, since they may miss important details or write the wrong dosage.

After suffering from medical malpractice, learning about the ways that distractions can cause them is important as you figure out what steps to take next.