In the United States, medication errors can be blamed for the death of one person each day. More than one million people are injured by medication errors annually in the country. Unfortunately, the problem isn’t unique to America. Medication errors result in death and injury around the globe according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The organization has a mission to reduce those injuries and deaths caused by medication errors which are avoidable by half by the year 2022. It is not only injuries and death that are caused by medication errors. The errors also have great financial impact at more than $42 billion around the world.
In an effort to reduce these errors, WHO will work to address any weaknesses it finds in health systems, come up with ways to better the way that medications are prescribed and filled, and increase patient awareness. WHO says that medication errors can be attributed to overcrowding, worker fatigue, poor training and improper information.
If proper procedures are put into place, WHO believes that medication errors are, for the most part, avoidable. Studies have found that the IT systems that doctors and pharmacies rely on to ensure that medications are prescribed and delivered correctly, those systems may be contributing to errors.
The organization will be working to make improvements in prescribing and dispensing medications, along with their administration and monitoring.
If you have been injured by a medication and the error was not your own, reach out to our team of medical malpractice attorneys. We will review the details of your case at no cost to you and advise you of your legal options. No one should be the victim of a medication error – you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages and more.