According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, errors in medication are an unfortunate circumstance in the professional medical field, with mistakes commonly made by physicians and pharmacists. What constitutes a medication error? This error is any type of mistake that is not only preventable, but may also lead to inappropriate medication use or harm to a patient. The FDA has claimed that more than 95,000 reports of medication errors have occurred since the year 2000. The governmental organization has even launched their own proactive program to prevent and stop medication mistakes, called MedWatch, in addition to partnering with the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), among other organizations, to reduce and prevent medication errors and injuries.

According to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention, medication errors are defined as "any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer." The council goes on to further explain medication errors as an event that may be related to professional practice, procedures, health care products, and systems. Furthermore, it may include the actions of prescribing medications, communicating during the order, labeling of the product, administration, education, monitoring by the physician, and use of the prescription or over-the-counter medication.

Medication errors can stem from virtually any type of marketed human drug, including prescription drugs, generic drugs and over-the-counter medications, in addition to non-vaccine biological products and medical devices. The FDA plays a large role in their attempt to prevent and reduce drug errors, including rejecting brand names and drug names that can cause potential confusion, requiring all drugs to have a standard drug facts label and to have a label that will reduce the risk of an error that stems from labels and packages that look similar, and analyzing existing and current medication error to determine the cause and type of error. The administration is also working to inform the public on medication errors, such as providing information on how to prevent these disheartening events and how to take action if one should occur.

There are many steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from medication and pharmaceutical errors. First and foremost, you can ask your doctor for a second opinion about the medication you have been prescribed or ask questions that are specific to the drug, including the following:

• What are the common side effects of the drug?
• Is there another drug that can treat my condition?
• Do I have any other options?
• How will this drug affect my everyday life?

You can also research the brand name or generic brand of medication you were prescribed to learn more about what it treats, the side effects, and what you should expect from the medication. By conducting your own, personal investigation, you can learn more about this drug and how it will affect you. If you do not see progress from the medication or you have become more ill due to the prescription, you should immediately speak to your doctor. In some cases involving adverse side effects from medications, it is not the fault of the doctor or pharmacist, but possibly an unknown allergy or another unpreventable factor that led to this reaction. It is important for you to distinguish between a potential mistake by a doctor and an unavoidable circumstance.

If you believe that your illness or the side effects from a medication stemmed from a doctor or pharmacist's mistakes, then you should immediately speak to your local medical malpractice lawyer. Every year, many cases of pharmaceutical errors are reported to the FDA, and many more go unreported due to a consumer's failure to understand their rights and how this affects them. If your doctor has given you the incorrect medication or a pharmacist mixed up your medication with another type of potentially dangerous prescription, it is up to you to pursue your legal rights and options. Your entire future may be on the line, especially if the incorrect medication caused a serious illness or wrongful death to a family member. Your attorney will be capable of examining the claim and determining the best possible strategy to ensure that you are fully compensated for any type of injury, illness, or loss you have acquired due to a doctor or pharmacist's mistake. Call your local medical malpractice attorney right away to learn more about your rights when it comes to your prescription and over-the-counter medications!