Doctors who prescribe wrong or inappropriate medications can create a lot of pain and suffering for their clients. Sources claim at 225,000 people die each year from some form of medical malpractice, and that 106,000 of these deaths are the direct result of a medication mistake. Whether is an overdose, a wrong prescription, or an inappropriate prescription, these people pay a desperate price due to someone else's mistake.

According to the Huffington Post, one doctor found his job on the line when he proscribed pot to a patient who was 28 weeks pregnant. The doctor was accused for negligence when he did not even ask his client whether or not she was pregnant, or do a thorough doctor's inspection before giving her a medical marijuana prescription. He did not question the lady's medical history or give her instructions as to how to take the medication. In her lawsuit, the woman claimed that doctor's should question a woman's possibility of pregnancy before prescribing marijuana. She explains that her doctor's appointment lasted all of three minutes, while the doctor quickly wrote her a prescription and then hurried on to another patient.

The Associated Press claims that the doctor has also been suspect of writing medical marijuana recommendations to anyone who wanted one. Two undercover police officers visited his practice to obtain cards, and arrested the doctor on the spot for his unprofessional conduct. When the preganant woman who had taken her cannabis prescription gave birth, the child had feeding difficulties. While the baby was able to recover from the problems, his mother is suing this doctor for his negligence.

According to Web MD, the baby could have suffered drastic medical complications because of his mother's prescription. The website claims that smoking marijuana during a pregnancy can cause lasting behavioral and mental defects in the child. A study completed on animals showed that offspring that are exposed to marijuana in the womb may not show obvious physical birth defects, but the drug can have a serious impact on the baby's mental health and intelligence level later on. Marijuana has also been known to cause babies to be born with a lower birth weight, or to have a withdrawn-nature even at infancy. Babies who were exposed to marijuana in the womb may also cry excessively, tremor, or suffer from severe and chronic vomiting.

As well, smoking marijuana while carrying a baby may result in an aggressive or prolonged labor. Babies who were exposed to this drug while in the womb are more likely to need resuscitation when they are born. As if that wasn't enough, studies have shown that using medical marijuana can damage the child's genes, and give the child a higher risk of cancer in the future. Cannabis has been proven to cause placental dysfunction and have a negative effect on the fetal endocrine system.

While some people are willing to forego these risks in order to enjoy medical marijuana while pregnant, many medical officials are against the idea. The doctor described above is being sued sued because he did not interview his patient to determine whether or not she was pregnant, or brief her on the inherent risks of smoking marijuana while pregnant. In many cases, a doctor will fail to explain the risks of a certain medication when taken during pregnancy to a patient. This is a blatant form of medical malpractice, as overdoses or some medications can harm an embryo. If you have been the victim of medical malpractice, contact an attorney today to discuss your case.