When a doctor prescribes you the wrong medicine, it can be a really scary and difficult situation. It is important to remember that this doesn’t happen often, but when it does, there are some steps that you should take in order to make sure that your doctor knows what they prescribed and gets you the correct prescription. Follow this article to see how to properly handle these situations.
Call the doctor to let them know
The first thing you have to do is call your doctor. This may be hard to do because you are probably feeling embarrassed, but it is the only way that your doctor will know what medicine they have prescribed. The last thing you want is for this medicine to continue being taken and possibly cause more damage than good. You should call them as soon as possible if their office hours are still open or leave a message with their after-hours number so they can return your call at another time.
Do not try emailing them about this issue either because it will take longer for them to receive the information and respond back accordingly. Make sure to let them know this is an emergency so they can take time out of their day to call you back or come in for an appointment.
The doctor may not know what medicine is wrong either, but it will be easier for them to find out if you let them know exactly which medicine was prescribed by the pharmacist at your local pharmacy. They may also want to speak with the pharmacist directly to make sure that information is readily available when calling about this issue as well.
Be calm and don’t panic. It’s not your fault and in most situations, it won’t affect you too much.
File a malpractice claim
It’s crucial for you to get compensated when a doctor prescribes you the wrong medicine because it’s your right. Malpractice claims have been increasing in recent years, and rightly so. Patients should not be afraid to speak up if they receive poor treatment from a doctor or clinic that has caused them harm.
You are entitled to a lot in the state of Pennsylvania when a doctor prescribed you the wrong medicine. A lot of medical malpractice lawyers in Philadelphia will tell you the same since they know how serious of an offense this is even if it’s not intentional. You also need to know how to file a claim correctly. Here are the steps:
- Speak to a doctor about the wrong medicine they prescribed you.
- Make sure it was an accident or not, because this can impact your case
- Takedown the doctor’s name and information and their license number
- See if there were any side effects
- File a malpractice claim so you can get compensated for your doctor prescribing you the wrong medicine
- Get a lawyer
- Document all possible evidence
- Be truthful when filing the claim
Go check if there has been any damage done to your body
You’re going to want to check the areas of the body that medicine is typically meant to treat and see if they’ve been affected by damage due to a medicine you were prescribed. For example, antibiotics are for treating infections so you’ll want to check all of your vital organs such as your heart or lungs because those can be damaged by this medicine.
If there were any side effects you experienced from taking medicine that was not prescribed to you then it is important to be able to explain those side effects in order for the doctor prescribing the medicine to understand what went wrong and how they can fix this issue. In some cases, a second visit may need to take place so that the damage done by medicine isn’t permanent.
This will also help a lot if you decide to file a malpractice claim.
See the procedure if you need to get your system cleaned
Make sure that you treat any side effects as soon as possible. This is why you should try and go to the doctor as soon as possible. If medicine has been prescribed incorrectly, it may be best for you to get your system cleaned out by a professional. Make sure to follow the procedure so that there is no further damage done to your body.
Contact your insurance company and ask for a new prescription
Your insurance should cover you for the right prescription at no extra charge in situations like this. If it does not cover the prescription you were given by mistake, contact them and ask for a new one. Your doctor may be able to send in a request or call on your behalf if they are open to it. If there is an emergency of some kind with no time to wait, go ahead and call your insurance company.
Getting the wrong prescription is never your fault and your doctor should be held accountable. Call them immediately and make sure to file a claim correctly. Also, it’s crucial to go and check if there were any side effects and treat them. Your insurance policy should cover you for a new, correct prescription. It’s important not to panic and not to beat yourself up since it’s never your fault!
Published on Holr Magazine