Just how common is it for your doctor to write you the wrong prescription? Whether you are prescribed a medication that is unsafe for use with your other medications or a dose that is too strong or too weak, the effects can be devastating.
It’s estimated that about 7,000 people die annually as a result of prescription errors. The error rates are much greater for children than adults and the cost to the country is estimated at around $77 billion a year. Clearly, it is a problem that needs to be addressed.
The errors can be as simple as a missing decimal point. For example, a missing decimal point could mean that 5 mg, rather than .5 mg of morphine are given to an infant. Or it can be a case of illegible handwriting on the prescription pad that causes a pharmacist to provide the patient with the wrong dose. Or the causes can be more complicated because some patients, particularly elderly or very ill patients, are under the care of several doctors and are taking several medications. If all of the doctors don’t know all of the medications and their dosages they may prescribe medications that are incompatible with each other.
Whatever the reasons, the effect is the same and often discomfort, pain, serious illness, or even death. For those reasons, many doctors, hospitals and pharmacists are using computer-based prescription programs that minimize the risk of prescription errors.
As the patient, or an advocate of the patient, the best thing that you can do is clarify the prescription order with the physician who is prescribing it and again with the pharmacist to ensure that you will be taking the right medication and the right amount of that medication.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Philly: Cosmetic Surgery and Medical Malpractice
Medical Malpractice and Cosmetic Surgery
When cosmetic surgery works, it can be a beautiful thing but when it doesn’t – it is considered medical malpractice.
Cosmetic surgery (also known as plastic surgery) offers improvement but not perfection even though the advertising might tell you otherwise. If you fantasized looking like Angelina Jolie and you look like yourself only better, this is not cause for a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, if you look like Frankenstein’s twin sister that could be considered cosmetic surgery gone wrong or medical malpractice.
If you have to go under a general anesthetic surgical risks apply. It also depends on your condition and well being. If you are overweight or have serious maladies, you are more at risk for repercussions such as blood clots and other complications like skin breakdown, needing a transfusion, and getting an infection.
Do your homework. Cosmetic surgeons spend a lot of money advertising their services. Ask for contacts of satisfied customers and if possible meet with them to view the results yourself and make sure they are not shills.
Research various procedures and ask intelligent questions. If you don’t like the answers, move on to the next plastic surgeon. Most of the procedures are done in a separate medical center not at a hospital. Ask how they handle unwanted life threatening emergencies. Ask how many of the same procedures they have done. Find someone with expertise not a newbie.
If you live in Philadelphia and surrounding areas have been disfigured or suffer serious injuries from cosmetic surgery gone wrong, please consider contacting a Philadelphia medical malpractice law firm to find out how they can help you.
When cosmetic surgery works, it can be a beautiful thing but when it doesn’t – it is considered medical malpractice.
Cosmetic surgery (also known as plastic surgery) offers improvement but not perfection even though the advertising might tell you otherwise. If you fantasized looking like Angelina Jolie and you look like yourself only better, this is not cause for a medical malpractice lawsuit. However, if you look like Frankenstein’s twin sister that could be considered cosmetic surgery gone wrong or medical malpractice.
If you have to go under a general anesthetic surgical risks apply. It also depends on your condition and well being. If you are overweight or have serious maladies, you are more at risk for repercussions such as blood clots and other complications like skin breakdown, needing a transfusion, and getting an infection.
Do your homework. Cosmetic surgeons spend a lot of money advertising their services. Ask for contacts of satisfied customers and if possible meet with them to view the results yourself and make sure they are not shills.
Research various procedures and ask intelligent questions. If you don’t like the answers, move on to the next plastic surgeon. Most of the procedures are done in a separate medical center not at a hospital. Ask how they handle unwanted life threatening emergencies. Ask how many of the same procedures they have done. Find someone with expertise not a newbie.
If you live in Philadelphia and surrounding areas have been disfigured or suffer serious injuries from cosmetic surgery gone wrong, please consider contacting a Philadelphia medical malpractice law firm to find out how they can help you.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Importance of Knowing Your Rights in Tough Economic Times
Attorney Sergei Lemberg, who specializes in automotive lemon law, is sitting in the guest blogger’s chair today.
With the federal government bailing out Wall Street, it’s natural for people to be frustrated and angry about the impact that this “rescue package” will – or will not – have on the financial struggles they’re facing. What many people don’t realize is that there are existing laws can help ease their economic burden.
If you’re fighting medical malpractice, chances are good that you’ve faced an extraordinary amount of medical bills. If you’ve purchased a car in the past year or two, it’s probably tough to find the money to make payments. If that car turns out to be defective, you’re faced with a double whammy – car payments and repair bills. Thankfully, every state in the U.S. has what’s called a “lemon law,” designed to protect consumers who have unknowingly purchased defective vehicles.
Pennsylvania lemon law covers new passenger cars, SUVs, vans, and trucks that are purchased or leased in Pennsylvania, as well as used cars that are sold by dealers within one year or 12,000 miles of the original purchase (whichever comes first). It only covers vehicles that are driven for personal (as opposed to business) use.
Although it doesn’t cover minor defects (like a non-working stereo system), the lemon law does force the manufacturer to stand by its product. In order for the lemon law to apply to new vehicles, the defects have to occur during the first year from the original owner’s delivery date or 12,000 miles on the odometer (whichever comes first). In addition, the vehicle must have been taken in three times for the same problem or out of service for a cumulative total of 30 days for a series of unrelated problems during the first year or 12,000 miles.
If you think you have a lemon, you can either take part in the manufacturer’s dispute resolution process or go to court. Before you begin, though, you should have a lemon law lawyer by your side. After all, you can be sure that the manufacturer’s team of legal eagles will be there to fight your claim every step of the way. The good news is that, if your claim is successful, the manufacturer has to pay your attorney fees. Often, with the help of a lawyer, you can get a refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement without having to go through the entire lemon law process – and get your attorney’s fees covered in the process.
With the federal government bailing out Wall Street, it’s natural for people to be frustrated and angry about the impact that this “rescue package” will – or will not – have on the financial struggles they’re facing. What many people don’t realize is that there are existing laws can help ease their economic burden.
If you’re fighting medical malpractice, chances are good that you’ve faced an extraordinary amount of medical bills. If you’ve purchased a car in the past year or two, it’s probably tough to find the money to make payments. If that car turns out to be defective, you’re faced with a double whammy – car payments and repair bills. Thankfully, every state in the U.S. has what’s called a “lemon law,” designed to protect consumers who have unknowingly purchased defective vehicles.
Pennsylvania lemon law covers new passenger cars, SUVs, vans, and trucks that are purchased or leased in Pennsylvania, as well as used cars that are sold by dealers within one year or 12,000 miles of the original purchase (whichever comes first). It only covers vehicles that are driven for personal (as opposed to business) use.
Although it doesn’t cover minor defects (like a non-working stereo system), the lemon law does force the manufacturer to stand by its product. In order for the lemon law to apply to new vehicles, the defects have to occur during the first year from the original owner’s delivery date or 12,000 miles on the odometer (whichever comes first). In addition, the vehicle must have been taken in three times for the same problem or out of service for a cumulative total of 30 days for a series of unrelated problems during the first year or 12,000 miles.
If you think you have a lemon, you can either take part in the manufacturer’s dispute resolution process or go to court. Before you begin, though, you should have a lemon law lawyer by your side. After all, you can be sure that the manufacturer’s team of legal eagles will be there to fight your claim every step of the way. The good news is that, if your claim is successful, the manufacturer has to pay your attorney fees. Often, with the help of a lawyer, you can get a refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement without having to go through the entire lemon law process – and get your attorney’s fees covered in the process.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Medical Malpractice Cases in Philadelphia
Accidents happen. Yet, they should not happen in a hospital or medical setting. This is considered medical malpractice.
When medical malpractice occurs in Philadelphia, the best decision a person or family can make is to hire a law firm devoted to medical malpractice, personal injury, and wrongful death lawsuits.
Medical malpractice happens every day in the United State; Philadelphia is no exception. Here are some fairly common medical malpractice situations to be aware of:
--Patients are administered the wrong drugs (mislabeled or badly labeled) not listed on their charts
--Patients are administered drugs that they are allergic to
--Patients charts and coded bracelets get mixed up
--Laboratories mix up lab results endangering patient outcomes
--Patients contract deadly infections in the hospital
--Patients have had the wrong breasts/limbs removed or wrong side of the brain operated on
--Patients leave the hospital with inadequate knowledge of take home drug reactions
--Pregnant women don’t receive adequate pre-natal care and evaluation to anticipate risky births and there is no advance planning for such births during delivery. Inexperienced residents instead of specialists are left to cope with these emergency situations
--Doctors don’t communicate to nurses or don’t respect their opinions further putting patients at risk
This is just a sample; the list is endless.
We hope you or your family never need a Philadelphia medical malpractice law firm but if you do – consult with Anapol Schwartz as they fought for many case settlements on behalf of people just like you.
When medical malpractice occurs in Philadelphia, the best decision a person or family can make is to hire a law firm devoted to medical malpractice, personal injury, and wrongful death lawsuits.
Medical malpractice happens every day in the United State; Philadelphia is no exception. Here are some fairly common medical malpractice situations to be aware of:
--Patients are administered the wrong drugs (mislabeled or badly labeled) not listed on their charts
--Patients are administered drugs that they are allergic to
--Patients charts and coded bracelets get mixed up
--Laboratories mix up lab results endangering patient outcomes
--Patients contract deadly infections in the hospital
--Patients have had the wrong breasts/limbs removed or wrong side of the brain operated on
--Patients leave the hospital with inadequate knowledge of take home drug reactions
--Pregnant women don’t receive adequate pre-natal care and evaluation to anticipate risky births and there is no advance planning for such births during delivery. Inexperienced residents instead of specialists are left to cope with these emergency situations
--Doctors don’t communicate to nurses or don’t respect their opinions further putting patients at risk
This is just a sample; the list is endless.
We hope you or your family never need a Philadelphia medical malpractice law firm but if you do – consult with Anapol Schwartz as they fought for many case settlements on behalf of people just like you.
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