In an ideal world, we’d all be able to put complete faith in the medical system to provide us with everything we need in order to be healthy and recover from any injuries that have occurred. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. The bigger the system, the more cracks exist for our loved ones or us to fall through. The more profitable an industry, the more space for corruption or endeavors that put commerce first. The more people involved, the greater the chance for human error.
It’s no secret that worldwide, humans need better healthcare options. In most places, people are just doing the best with what they have – and it’s nowhere near enough. The following will explore what you can do if your loved one has experienced sub-bar medical attention in one particular way – the injury caused by prescription drugs.
Prescription Drugs Can Be a Problem
There are countless ways a drug you or a loved one was prescribed can cause harm. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t thinking about these potential threats when we’re picking up a prescription – we’re focused on healing or feeling better.
Allergic Reactions
People can have allergies to certain medications and experience a wide range of adverse side effects as a result. Symptoms can be mild, like a runny nose or hives, but also aggressive and life-threatening, like anaphylaxis. Doctors and pharmacists are supposed to check with you about your allergies before giving you medication.
Misinformation Regarding Dosage or Effects
Sometimes the harm comes because people were not accurately informed about taking the drug and what they can and cannot do while on it. For example, some drugs make us drowsy or slow our reaction time, leading to injury if a person participates in activities that don’t reflect their new mental state. Other drugs can have adverse effects if mixed with certain foods or drinks. If no one warned a patient about these effects, things could quickly get out of hand.
Addiction
There is also the elephant in the room of people being prescribed medications that present a high risk for addiction. The current opioid crisis is, in part, fueled by the rampant prescription of opioid medication. Thousands of people are dying from opioid overdoses, and countless more are struggling with life as an addict because of medicines. People are supposed to be informed about the addictive properties of what they are prescribed.
Severe Side Effects
Of course, there is also the brutal truth that most medications have side effects. Depending on the severity of these effects, injury can occur – sometimes resulting in permanent damage to the body. Take, for instance, the recent court cases involving the drug Xarelto. It was approved by the FDA in 2011 and is a blood-thinner used to help reduce the risk of blood clotting and, therefore, stroke. It was also prescribed after certain surgeries to reduce the risk of clotting.
This sounds great, but it turns out that Xarelto has a pretty severe side effect – hemorrhaging. There is no way to stop the thinning properties once they’ve begun taking Xarelto and people have bled to death. You can always visit this website for more information about this specific drug and the related court cases. More cases are expected to emerge as word spreads.
What to Do if Your Loved One Has Been Harmed by Prescribed Medication
If you fit into the above categories, what can you do? First and foremost, seek medical attention. There’s no way for you to know how severe the effects they’re experiencing are. It can be scary to go back to the doctor or hospital after experiencing harm due to a prescription, but you need to be sure that your loved one is safe and that anything that can be done to protect their health is.
Seek Out an Attorney
This is another scary step for most people, but it doesn’t have to be. What you’re looking for is someone who specializes in lawsuits related to dangerous drugs or harm caused by prescriptions. You want to avoid a lawyer who works in another category of law (like divorce or personal injury) because it takes years of highly focused practice to fully understand even one area of the law. You might even find a lawyer who has worked with cases in the past specifically having to do with the drug that your loved one was injured by. An attorney will be able to explain all the options available to you.
The above information should get you started on handling the terrible situation of having a loved one experience harm from a prescription drug. As a side note, it’s best to avoid posting anything on social media throughout the process unless specifically instructed by your lawyer.
