Are Medication Errors in Nursing Homes Considered Neglect?

It only takes one mistake to cause irreparable harm. Every health care provider in the chain must follow a reasonable standard of care while prescribing, filling, dispensing, or administering medication.

• When choosing a medication, the prescribing physician must consider the patient’s medical history, current medications, allergies, and health conditions.
• The pharmacist must dispense the correct medication in the correct dosage, verify the prescription with the doctor if it is illegible, and label it accurately and clearly.
• Nursing staff must compare the label to the patient chart to ensure it matches, administer it as prescribed, monitor the patient’s response, and promptly report adverse reactions to the doctor.

Medication errors only constitute negligence if they cause harm, such as organ damage, illness, the need for invasive treatment, or death.

Nursing home residents may suffer significant preventable harm as a result of the following errors:

• The wrong medication
• Overdose or underdose
• Incorrect administration method
• Incorrect timing or frequency
• Delays in receiving medication
• Unreported adverse reactions
• Inappropriate prescriptions

Many nursing homes—particularly understaffed facilities—improperly use antipsychotic medications as chemical restraints on residents to reduce their mobility. These medications often have serious side effects, including death or reduced quality of life.