National Talk about Your Medicines Month takes place every October as an opportunity to help prevent medicine abuse and minimize medicine risks through proper professional care and patient education. Now celebrating its 34th year, the BeMedWise Program, formerly the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE), leads Talk about Your Medicines Month and encourages healthcare professionals and community groups to foster patient–professional communication about medicines.
All medications come with risks. Many of these risks can be prevented with proper education and professional care to prevent harmful drug interactions and other medical errors that can occur by mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, taking or giving medications. These types of mistakes negatively impact hundreds of thousands of people a year. One of the smartest actions patients can take to help safeguard themselves against these potentially deadly mistakes is to talk with a trusted medical professional about ALL the medications prescribed as well as their risks.
Recourse for Victims of Medical Errors and Malpractice
For individuals that have suffered from receiving drugs with dangerous interactions, the wrong dosage or even being prescribed the wrong medication all together, there is the option to file a medical malpractice lawsuit based on actions (or failures to act) completed by the health care professional. Proving medical negligence is often the pivotal piece most of these types of cases hinge on – being able to prove that a medical professional caused harm in a way that a competent professional would not if under the same circumstances. If proven, patients can gain compensation for physical pain, mental anguish, additional medical bills and lost work as well as earning capacity.
Medical malpractice rules and regulations can vary considerably from state to state. If you or someone you know needs help with a medical malpractice case, search the Lawyers of Distinction Membership Directory to find a qualified personal injury lawyer in your area.
