The Nebraska Injury Law Report

Though it almost goes without saying, medication errors can have serious consequences for patients. A study entitled “Drug Complications in Outpatients” revealed a dramatic increase in medication errors that cost patients their lives.

By reviewing death certificates from over a ten year timeframe, researchers found that there had been a 2.5 fold increase in medication errors that led to patient deaths. The study found:

Over 100,000 fatal adverse drug events (ADEs) were estimated to have occurred in 1994, placing it high among leading causes of death. One million outpatients in the United States are hospitalized with ADEs and 4.7% of hospital admissions are attributed to ADEs. Of all ADEs, 28% are considered preventable.”.

If you or a loved one have been injured due to a medication error, please call Keating, O’Gara, Nedved & Peter at 888/234-0621 or fill out the contact form on this site. Your first consultation is free and we handle cases on a contingency fee basis.