Medication Errors

Medication error compensation claims in Canberra

Medication should help you get better, not make things worse. Yet medication errors remain one of the most common forms of medical negligence, affecting thousands of Australians each year. When a doctor prescribes the wrong drug, a pharmacist dispenses incorrect medication, or a nurse administers the wrong dosage, the consequences can be devastating.

At MEJ, our medication error lawyers have been helping victims of prescription mistakes seek justice and fair compensation for over 40 years. We understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll that medication errors can take on you and your family.

What are medication errors?

Medication errors occur at any point in the prescribing, dispensing, or administration process. They can happen in hospitals, GP clinics, pharmacies, aged care facilities, or even in your own home when instructions are unclear.

These errors aren’t just inconvenient, they can cause serious harm, allergic reactions, drug interactions, overdoses, or prevent you from receiving the treatment you actually need.

Common examples of medication errors include:

• Prescribing the wrong medication entirely
• Incorrect dosage (too high or too low)
• Failing to check for drug allergies or interactions
• Dispensing the wrong drug at a pharmacy
• Administration errors in hospitals or care facilities
• Failure to warn about serious side effects or risks
• Continuing medications that should have been stopped
• Unclear or illegible prescriptions leading to errors

If you’ve been harmed by a medication error in Canberra, you may be entitled to compensation.

How medication errors happen

Medication errors can occur due to various failures across the healthcare system:

• Prescribing errors may involve a doctor failing to check your medical history, not considering drug allergies, prescribing an inappropriate medication for your condition, or miscalculating dosages, particularly for children or elderly patients.
• Dispensing errors can occur when pharmacists misread prescriptions, select the wrong drug from shelves with similarly named medications, provide incorrect dosages, or fail to provide proper counselling about how to take the medication.
• Administration errors in hospitals and care facilities might include nurses giving medication to the wrong patient, administering drugs via the wrong route (oral instead of injection, for example), or timing doses incorrectly.
• Monitoring failures happen when healthcare providers fail to track how you’re responding to medication, miss dangerous side effects, or don’t conduct required blood tests to monitor drug levels.

Each of these scenarios represents a potential breach of the duty of care owed to you by healthcare professionals across Canberra and the ACT region.

The impact of medication errors

The consequences of medication errors range from temporary discomfort to catastrophic, life-changing injuries:

• Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis
• Organ damage (kidney, liver, heart)
• Neurological injuries or cognitive impairment
• Birth defects when medications are given during pregnancy
• Worsening of underlying conditions due to lack of proper treatment
• Addiction or dependency on incorrect medications
• Severe side effects that could have been prevented
• In the most tragic cases, wrongful death

The harm from medication errors goes far beyond the physical effects. There’s the psychological toll – the anxiety, the fear, the loss of trust in a system you once relied on without question. There’s the financial strain of additional medical bills, time off work, and the ongoing costs of fixing what should never have gone wrong in the first place. It affects every part of your life.
When medication errors cause you harm, you may be able to pursue compensation from the healthcare providers responsible, whether that’s your doctor, pharmacist, nurse, hospital, aged care facility, or any other provider who failed in their duty to keep you safe.

How we can help

Our experienced medication error lawyers in Canberra thoroughly investigate what went wrong, who was responsible, and what compensation you deserve. We work with medical and pharmaceutical experts to review prescriptions, medical records, and pharmacy dispensing logs to build a comprehensive case.

At MEJ, we work to secure compensation for:

• Current and future medical expenses related to the medication error
• Loss of income and reduced earning capacity
• Pain, suffering, and reduced quality of life
• Rehabilitation and ongoing care needs
• Psychological trauma and emotional distress
• Out-of-pocket expenses

We handle all aspects of your claim with professionalism and empathy, ensuring you can focus on your recovery while we focus on securing the compensation you deserve.

Do I need a medication error lawyer?

Medication error claims involve complex medical evidence, pharmaceutical knowledge, and an understanding of clinical protocols across different healthcare settings. Insurance companies often defend these claims vigorously, making it essential to have experienced legal representation.

Our Canberra-based medication error lawyers can:

• Obtain and review all relevant medical records and prescription documentation
• Engage expert pharmacologists and medical specialists to support your claim
• Navigate the complex claims process on your behalf
• Negotiate with insurers and defendants for fair settlement
• Represent you in court if necessary

We will enter into a costs agreement specific to your case.

Time limits for medication error claims

Strict time limits apply to medical negligence claims in Australia. Generally, you must commence legal action within three years of the date of injury or when you discovered the injury and its connection to the medication error.

Given these time constraints, we strongly encourage you to seek legal advice promptly to protect your rights and ensure your claim can proceed.

Why choose MEJ?

For over 40 years, MEJ has been serving the Canberra and ACT community with dedicated, expert legal representation. Unlike large interstate firms, we’re locally based with deep connections to the region and its healthcare system.

Our team is:

• Highly experienced in medication error and medical negligence claims
• Proven track record across complex pharmaceutical negligence cases
• Compassionate and responsive, treating every client as an individual
• Based right here in Canberra, serving the local ACT community

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a medication error, you don’t have to face this alone. Our compassionate, experienced lawyers are here to help you understand your rights, navigate the claims process, and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Call us on 1800 570 778 or (02) 9158 1333

Submit an enquiry online to speak with a medication error lawyer in Canberra today

Taking the first step might feel difficult, but you deserve answers, and if negligence occurred, you deserve compensation.