Fortunately, people today do not have to rely on luck and good fortune to get better when they are sick. They can take advantage of pharmaceutical remedies. If they have a headache, they can take an aspirin to make it go away. If they have a more serious medical condition, their physician can give them a stronger prescription medication to treat, manage, or cure their illness.
Unfortunately, sometimes a drug causes more harm than good. If you suspect you or your loved one became sicker after taking a drug, an Albuquerque dangerous drugs lawyer could help you file a legal claim against the responsible party. Our personal injury attorneys could handle the legal work while you focus on recovery.
Drug companies have a legal responsibility to produce medicine that is as reasonably safe as possible for its intended purpose. Almost all medications have some side effects that can be harmful to patients, but pharmaceutical companies should try to minimize those negative effects as much as possible.
Manufacturers should perform extensive testing on their proposed new drugs. Companies must ensure that those tests cover a wide and diverse sampling of the population. For instance, if a drug manufacturer creates a new medication to treat the common cold, they cannot just test that drug on healthy young male adults. They also need to see how that drug affects children and the elderly. In addition, drug testing must involve a sufficiently long time period. A manufacturer cannot assume their drug is safe if they do not observe the people they are testing it on for long enough to see any possible side effects.
If the drug has some side effects that are unavoidable, the manufacturer needs to disclose them so that any potential consumer who plans to take the drug would know enough about them to make an informed decision about whether or not to take the medication. Manufacturers usually display those side effects on a pill bottle or on a pamphlet included with a drug.
A trusted attorney from Albuquerque could investigate to determine if the medication was inherently dangerous. We could skillfully examine the manufacturing and testing process to see if the company adhered to safe production processes and followed applicable federal and state guidelines with respect to testing and disclosure of side effects.
Dangerous drug claims can also involve lawsuits against the people responsible for prescribing, administering, or filling a drug prescription.
Before giving a patient a prescription for a drug or telling them to take an over-the-counter medication, a physician should be sure the drug is reasonably safe for that patient. The doctor should ensure the patient has no drug allergies to that class of drug and that they are not taking any other medication that could react negatively with the proposed new medication. In addition, doctors need to take into account their patient’s size, weight, and age to ensure they give the correct dosage.
Sometimes, someone other than the prescribing physician gives patients their medication. In crowded hospitals, nurses and other healthcare professionals can get so busy that they make mistakes, such as giving the wrong dose or even giving the medication to the wrong patient.
The pharmacy that fills a prescription must ensure the prescription is accurate. They must also include all relevant warnings and directions on the packaging.
A diligent Albuquerque lawyer could investigate how the hazardous drug error occurred and who bears legal liability.
Medication is supposed to make you feel better. When something goes wrong and you become sicker after taking an over-the-counter or prescription drug, you need answers and legal help.
Contact an Albuquerque dangerous drugs lawyer today who will fight to make things better for you.
