Monitoring a patient's medications is an important part of every doctor's job. By keeping track of the medications prescribed, doctors can assess whether or not the treatments are working. They also help doctors identify any potential side effects or allergic reactions to medications that could be detrimental to the patient's health.
Why Doctors Need to Monitor the Prescriptions They Write
When doctors fail to monitor medications, they put their patient’s health at risk. When a patient experiences a harmful side effect or is on an incorrect dosage of a medication, they can develop a serious illness or injury.
It’s under these circumstances that affected patients should strongly consider their legal options for medical malpractice.
When monitoring a patient’s medications, doctors should do the following:
- Record accurate information relevant to a patient’s physical condition, such as weight, blood pressure, lifestyle, pre-existing conditions, etc., and adjust drugs and dosages accordingly
- Make sure that any prescriptions are tailored to the individual needs of their patient, rather than following a “one size fits all” approach.
- Double-check their work to ensure accuracy in prescribing and avoiding potential medication errors.
- Take into account interactions between different medications when prescribing multiple medications and ensure that any potential risks or side effects are discussed openly with the patient.
- Be conscious of addiction potential, especially when prescribing certain types of medication such as opioids or benzodiazepines.
- Stay up to date with changes in medical treatments and guidelines, ensuring that any medications prescribed are in line with current best practices.
When a doctor fails to perform any of the duties above, it can result in a serious medication injury – or even death – because the patient may be improperly medicated.
A patient on a blood pressure medication, for example, should have their medication and dosage monitored on a regular basis. If a patient loses a significant amount of weight, continuing their treatment as-is may put them at risk of dizziness and falling, which could result in a severe injury.
When You Should Contact a Lawyer
If you believe a medication prescribed to you has caused you to suffer an injury or illness, you should consider reaching out to a medical malpractice lawyer. Your doctor may have been negligent in monitoring how the medication affected your physical health or may have negligently disregarded important side effects.
Your claim may even be stronger if you had previously attempted to address these concerns with your physician, and an experienced legal professional can help you fight to recover the maximum possible damages for your claim.
Should you require legal assistance for any medical malpractice matter, reach out to the Law Office of David Kates today for help!