Recently, pharmaceutical companies paid out about $5 billion for illegally marketing antipsychotic drugs.  The settlements came after claims that the drugs were being administered to children in psychiatric hospitals, foster care and juvenile prisons and to elderly in nursing homes who did not have conditions for which these drugs have FDA approval to treat.

For example, studies indicate that drugs that are approved to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are being used to treat posttraumatic stress disorder and ADHD.  In other cases, the drugs are simply being used to make patients easier to manage without any known benefit and with serious potential risks including death.

If you have a loved one for whom an antipsychotic medication is being suggested, it is important to ask questions about why the drug is being prescribed, whether the drug has FDA approval to treat the condition for which it is being prescribed, and about the potential benefits and risks of the drug.

Oxycodone and Oxycontin are powerful pain medications.  When used correctly, these pain management medications can significantly improve a patient’s life. However, these medications are also a source of potential harm.

These medications are among the most common drugs used in prescription drug abuse.  They are highly addictive and can create euphoric feelings similar to those experienced on street drugs.  For this reason, doctors who prescribe Oxycodone and Oxycontin must be vigilant about monitoring patients dependence and dosage.  The failure to exercise a reasonable standard of care in prescribing these drugs may result in significant harm, or death, for a patient.

If you, or a loved one, have been hurt by Oxycodone or Oxycontin then it is important to talk to a Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyer who can help you determine if a doctor, or drug manufacturer, had any part in causing the injuries.

A recent article written by the president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices suggests that once a week medication may be subject to potentially dangerous errors.* Weekly prescriptions that are taken more frequently than once a week can be dangerous, or even fatal.

Whether a doctor miswrites the dosage on the prescription, the pharmacist automatically assumes the medication should be taken daily (as most medications currently are), or the person responsible for dispensing medication misinterprets the directions, the consequences could be severe.

Therefore, as the patient or a caregiver, it is important to make sure that you understand what your doctor is prescribing and how it should be administered.

If you have been hurt by a medication error, please contact a Pennsylvania medical malpractice lawyer for more information about your rights.

*Source: Philly.com, Drugs given once a week may be prone to deadly dosage errors, Monday March 14, 2011