Patients trust that medical professionals are making the right decisions about what medications they need. Once a medication is chosen, the dosing needs to be accurate. When a patient doesn’t have the right dosage, harm can occur.
Some people will automatically think about the symptoms of an overdose when they think of improper dosing of medications. While this is one of the possibilities, it is also possible that a person will be prescribed a too-low dose of a critical medication. This comes with risks of its own.
A patient who doesn’t get enough of a medication might not be receiving the best treatment for his or her condition. In severe cases, a too-low dosage could allow a health issue to progress despite the fact that the patient is getting some medication. One example of this is when a dosage of chemotherapy is ordered for a cancer patient. If that dosage is too weak, the person’s cancer might continue to spread and worsen.
Patients who are on medications should review the usage of them with their health care professionals on a regular basis. This gives the practitioner a chance to review the dosing, but it does much more. It also gives them the opportunity to determine how effective the medication is for the condition it is treating.
Any patient who is going to the doctor or any other health care professional should make sure he or she brings a list of medications with him or her. These much be checked with the new medications that might be necessary to determine if there is a chance of any interaction between them.
One of the primary concerns of prescribing practitioners should be avoiding patient harm that might be caused by medication errors. A patient who is harmed might choose to take legal action to seek compensation for the incident and its effects.
