Medical Malpractice: How To Avoid Medicine-Related Injuries
A medical malpractice case is likely to be complicated and lengthy; it is something you'll want to avoid if possible. The best way to avoid medicine-related malpractice is to provide your medical caregivers with your most up-to-date medical history. Here are four tips you can use to make your medicine usage safer:
1. Let Your Doctors Know About Every Medication
Some types of medicines may be extremely safe alone, but dangerous when combined with others. For example, some blood thinners don't react well with the herbal supplement ginseng. Therefore, you should tell all your doctors (e.g. dentist, surgeon, general physician, and even a dietitian) about all the medications you are taking to prevent such a risk. This should include everything from prescription painkillers to over-the-counter vitamin supplements.
2. Tell Your Doctors about Adverse Reactions to Medication
You should tell your doctors about the reactions you have after taking any medicine. This includes allergic reactions or anything that may seem unusual to you. Even if a medication is considered safe, not everyone reacts the same way. You may have an adverse reaction due to a preexisting condition that other people taking the same medicine do not have.
3. Read the Prescription Before Getting Out of the Doctor's Office
Some forms of handwriting are difficult to read, and your doctor's handwriting might be one of them. Your pharmacist may not be able to read your prescription that well, and there are some medicines that have very similar names.
For instance, it could be easy to mix up something like iodine and Lodine (an anti-inflammatory drug). Therefore, you should ask your doctor to spell the drug out so you can make a personal record, and you should read your prescription before getting out of the office to ensure that it is legible.
4. Know the Best Devices for Measuring Medicine
Lastly, you should know what apparatuses to use to measure your liquid medicine. Know the volume you are supposed to take and which device you can use to measure the said quantity. Don't estimate the volume to take or use an incorrect device to measure it.
For example, 2.5mL is equivalent to half a teaspoon of liquid medicine, but household teaspoons may hold different volumes from that.
Despite your best precautionary measures, however, you could still be a victim of medical malpractice. This is one of the most complex cases you may ever have to deal with, so you should find a lawyer, like Poulos & Coates, LLP, that has experience with medical malpractice litigation.
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