You visit the doctor when you aren’t feeling well. In some instances, the physician will prescribe you a drug that they believe will alleviate or cure your symptoms. Typically, being prescribed a medication is nothing to worry about. The doctor writes the prescription, you get it filled, and you go home to start taking your pills.

In some cases, things don’t go as planned. You take your medication only to find that it causes severe side effects. While you had planned on perhaps a headache, you were not ready for what you are dealing with. But you should have been.

When a drug company or medical provider fails to provide adequate warning with regard to a possible side effect of a medication, the responsible party can be held legally liable for any injuries or complications caused by the medication. While all of these instances can’t be prevented, there are steps you can take to help ensure that you aren’t harmed by a prescription drug. The best thing you can do is this: Talk to the pharmacist.

1. Does Everything Match Up?

Before you walk out of the pharmacy, confirm with the pharmacist that the medication and its dosage were the ones written by the doctor. If something doesn’t match up, the pharmacist can investigate the issue and make the necessary changes.

2. How Do You Dose the Medication?

This is a good question to ask if you aren’t sure of the proper dosing method. For example, you don’t want to rely on a spoon from your kitchen drawer if the medication is liquid. You run the risk of either under- or overdosing the medication. Ask for the right tools to use with your prescription.

3. Are There Tamper-Proof Caps Available?

If you have children in the house, you should always ask for tamper-proof or child-proof lids for your medication. These certainly aren’t a guarantee, but they will make it more difficult for your child to get into the bottles.

4. What Side Effects Can I Expect?

You won’t know if a side effect of your medication is common or “normal” unless you ask your pharmacist. Most of us don’t read the literature that comes with medication. Is it normal to experience a headache? Should you expect to become dizzy? Your pharmacist can let you know what side effects require immediate medical attention.

No one expects to become ill or experience severe medical reactions when they take a prescription medication but it can happen. When a drug manufacturer or medical provider fails to warn a patient about possible interactions or side effects, they can be held accountable. Patients who experience serious side effects or issues when taking a prescription drug may be able to join a class action lawsuit or file one of their own.

If you have experienced issues with a prescription medication in Charlotte, reach out to our office. We have a team of attorneys that are ready to assist you. Call today to schedule an appointment for a free case evaluation.

Women who are pregnant will do whatever it takes to make sure that their babies come into the world healthy. Unfortunately, women don’t always know which prescription medications may be dangerous to their unborn children. There is list of drugs that can cause harmful side effects to infants, and Zofran is one of them.

Zofran is a drug used to curb morning sickness. The FDA has recently learned that the medication can cause septal and orofacial defects, stillbirths, kidney malformation, and congenital heart defects. Here is more about what you can do if your child experiences symptoms.

Suing for Birth Defects

When an infant is born with birth defects, parents have much more on their minds than filing a lawsuit. At times, it can be difficult to determine what led to the birth defect. If it is discovered that a prescription medication like Zofran caused the defect, its manufacturer can be held liable. For a successful lawsuit, you must be able to prove one of the following:

Design Defects: The drug poses a foreseeable risk that the company knew about but ignored, even when it is manufactured and taken as it was intended.

Manufacturing Defects: There was a mistake made during the production of the medication.

Warning Defects: The company knew about issues with the drug but failed to warn the public.

When it comes to Zofran, the drug was originally approved as one to treat nausea in chemotherapy patients. GlaxoSmithKline, the drug’s manufacturer, illegally marketed the drug to medical professionals as effective for treating morning sickness.

Filing Your Lawsuit

No two birth defect lawsuits are exactly alike due to the nature of these health concerns. There are still general factors to take into consideration when you file a lawsuit over a drug you took during pregnancy.

The first thing to know is that you may be able to file more than one type of lawsuit. Not only can you sue the drug manufacturer, but you may be able to file a medical malpractice claim as well. If a doctor prescribed teh drug for a purpose not approved by the FDA or did not warn you about the potential side effects, the doctor failed to perform with the acceptable standard of care.

It’s also important to understand the statute of limitations. The clock starts ticking quickly, but it is specific to the type of claim you are making and the state you live in.

If you or your child has been injured by a dangerous drug in North Carolina, call our team of medical malpractice attorneys. We will review the details of the injury and advise you of your options under current state law. Call now for a free case evaluation and discover how you may secure compensation for your injury.

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Volunteers sign up for drug trials by the thousands every year. Whether college students need a bit of extra money or patients are hoping for a cure, there are a variety of reasons why people are willing to risk their health. Unfortunately, five people in France did more than just risk their health when they took part in the trial for an experimental painkiller.

One person was killed and five others were hospitalized, allegedly as a result of the drug manufactured by Bial, a pharmaceutical company in Portugal. The six were among 128 people who volunteered to take part in the study.

The company’s drug was touted as a treatment for anxiety and motor disorders. The drug’s target is the endogenous cannabinoid system. This part of the body is one that controls pain. The drug was administered at a private medical center in France and supervised by doctors.

An investigation conducted into the death and injuries determined that the medical facility ran the trial appropriately. They also found that Bial and Biotrial, the company running the trial, were at fault. According to the report, fault included the drug’s dosage to volunteers, the length of time it took to inform the government of the issues, and a failure to properly inform other volunteers of the issues.

Authorities have given both companies a month to get everything fixed and into compliance. If the companies fail to do this, the trial will be suspended. The report also made it clear to the companies and the public that there may be a separate judicial inquiry into the trial, the injuries and the death.

Many people understand that there are dangerous drugs in North Carolina. Unfortunately, not all of these drugs are sold on the street corner. Always be mindful of signing up for any type of clinical trial. Even though this event occurred overseas, it could happen here. There are safer ways to make money and, if you are a patient hoping for a cure, you should always speak with your primary physician before volunteering for a trial.

If you have been injured by a drug in North Carolina, you may be entitled to compensation under the law. Call our office today for a free case evaluation. We will advise you of your options and help you take the next steps.

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Have you ever seen someone on the verge of a drug overdose? Medical professionals see it frequently. Some see it so frequently, in fact, that they can tell by looking at someone’s face what they are overdosing on.

Opiate abusers on the verge of overdosing have constricted pupils, are itching their skin, are turning pale and their skin is becoming clammy. Their fingernails and lips are turning blue or purple, and they are starting to make choking noises. When doctors see these signs, they know it is time to act quickly.

If doctors are so well versed in opiate overdose, why does one occur every 19 minutes in the United States? And why do doctors continue to prescribe these drugs for pain management when there are alternatives available?

It is known that some pharmaceutical companies misled the FDA. They downplayed the risks of opioid addiction in order to sell more drugs. It is also known that our own government has thrown up so many roadblocks that studying other therapies has become difficult at best.

In the same way that doctors write prescriptions for antibiotics far more than is necessary, medical professionals are writing prescriptions for opioids at an alarming rate. Even worse, those who have recovered from overdose are often able to receive another prescription for the drug, and often from the same doctor that issued the original prescription.

The short-term use of opioids and other dangerous drugs in North Carolina may be beneficial for severe pain caused by surgery or trauma. Long-term use for the management of chronic pain is something that needs to be considered a health risk. These drugs are highly addictive, and long-term use can be dangerous. Unfortunately, living pain-free is not always possible, and doctors should make their patients aware of this.

When you visit a medical professional, you believe that you will be taken care of properly. Unfortunately, medical errors happen and negligence occurs. If you believe that you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, you need an experienced attorney like Auger & Auger on your side. Call today for a free case evaluation and let us advise you of your options.

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