Any medication or pharmacy error can be concerning, but what can make your situation more dire is if the error concerns your child. When a medical professional administers the wrong medication or dosage, it can affect children much more than adults.
For one, children’s immune systems are more vulnerable than adults, which is why they’re more susceptible to certain kinds of sicknesses. Children’s bodies are also still growing, which means a disastrous error can inhibit their growth and have other unseen consequences that may not manifest themselves until the child is older. Young children may also have yet to be tested for allergies, and can experience an allergic reaction to the medication.
Drug doses also have to be individually calculated for each child based on the following factors:
- Weight
- Age
- Clinical condition
- Body surface area
These calculations may lead to more errors. In contrast, drug doses are generally standardized across all adults.
Research has shown that despite how serious prescription errors in children may be, they’re also relatively common. According to research that analyzed calls made to various poison hotlines, a child is subject to an error in their medication every eight minutes in the United States.
In addition, young children may still lack the ability to communicate and explain to parents or doctors what is wrong, which can create additional issues the longer the child goes without proper treatment.
A New Initiative
Currently, there isn’t much research to show how prescription errors affect children in depth. To fix this blind spot, the Pharmaceutical Journal recently announced an initiative, inviting researchers to submit related articles to be published on the subject. The hope is that the research can help prevent prescription errors in the future and protect the health of children.
Common Types of Prescription Errors
Anyone is able to make prescription errors, including physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. Common types of prescription errors include administering the wrong medication, mislabeling the medication, prescribing medication the patient is allergic to, failing to warn patients of common side effects of medication, and more.
If you suspect that your child is reacting adversely to their medication, it’s crucial that you seek medical attention immediately, then consider hiring a personal injury lawyer who can help you recover damages that you’ve received as a result.
Over 40 Years of Experience
When you go to the doctor or seek medical treatment, you expect to get better, not worse. You trust your medical professionals with your life – you don’t deserve to fall ill or become injured as a result of their negligence. Our medical malpractice lawyers at The Dickinson Law Firm, LLC have decades of experience in helping clients achieve optimal results in their personal injury cases. We believe you deserve to be compensated for your pain and suffering, and won’t rest until you’re satisfied and on the mend. If you or a loved one was involved in a prescription error, don’t hesitate to reach out to our capable team of professionals.
Call The Dickinson Law Firm, LLC today at (770) 924-8155, or contact us online if your child is a victim of a prescription error. Our medical malpractice lawyers have more than 40 years of experience helping injured clients and can guide you through the legal process.
