What Is Considered a Medication Error?

A medication error occurs when a preventable mistake is made during the prescribing, dispensing, or administration of medication, resulting in patient harm. According to FDA statistics, medication errors rank among the most common types of medical malpractice in the United States, affecting more than 1.5 million patients annually and causing thousands of preventable deaths.

These errors can take many forms, from incorrect medications being prescribed to improper dosages being administered. Even seemingly minor errors can have catastrophic consequences depending on the patient's condition and the medication involved.

Who Can Be Held Legally Responsible for Medication Errors in California?

Determining liability in medication error cases requires thorough investigation and medical expertise. Multiple parties may share responsibility, including:

• Physicians who prescribe incorrect medications or fail to check for drug interactions

• Nurses who administer medication improperly or to the wrong patient

• Pharmacists who fill prescriptions incorrectly or provide inadequate instructions

• Hospitals and healthcare facilities that fail to implement proper medication protocols

• Pharmaceutical manufacturers who provide inadequate warnings or produce defective drugs

California law holds healthcare providers to a "standard of care" that represents what a reasonably skilled medical professional would do under similar circumstances. When providers fall below this standard and patients suffer harm as a result, they may be held liable for negligence.