After visiting a doctor’s office, you may walk away with a prescription that you are sure is going to help you feel better.
However, in the time after you begin to take the medicine itself, you may notice the exact opposite happening. Negligence when it comes to prescribing the right medication is a common source of serious injuries.
Rushed visits
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, one aspect of a visit that leads to mislabeling or medication errors is a doctor rushing to talk to patients. Even a straightforward visit can end with you walking out of the office with a wrong prescription due to the doctor trying to perform multiple tasks and talking to staff at the same time.
Messy handwriting
Another kind of preventable error can also happen when a doctor does not clearly or fully write out the name of the medication that you need to take. When you go to get the prescription filled, you may come home with an entirely different kind of medicine.
Unclear handwriting can also lead to people confusing the frequency and dosage of the medicine itself while taking it. Consuming too much or not enough of a dosage can leave you with lasting health problems.
Lack of information
During a visit, you typically learn about how to ingest or apply the medicine you receive. When a doctor fails to make it clear what you need to do to safely use a medicine, you can become confused after leaving the office.
Similarly, when the doctor relies on verbal instructions instead of writing down or sharing a printed page, you may struggle to know what to do next. Medical malpractice and negligence are two very impactful issues that can lead to lasting problems.
