Drugs and Medication Errors – An Epidemic Problem in Nursing Homes
Recent news out of Florida cited to the fact that in the past three years, 43% of nursing homes have been cited for deficiencies directly or indirectly related to medication errors according to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services data, which highlights the growing problem of medication errors in nursing homes across the country. In fact, according to CMS, citations against nursing facilities for violations of drug-misuse rules have increased by nearly 40% since 2004.
In nursing facilities, two-thirds of residents experience Adverse Drug Reactions (“ADR”) and one in seven requires hospitalization. Further, the prevalence of polypharmacy (polypharmacy is a term used to describe the use of five or more medications) increases to 50% to those 65 years or older. (Beers MH 2003 Arch. Int. Med.)
In fact, if medication-related problems were ranked as a disease, it will be the fifth-largest cause of death in the United States. In 2000, adverse drug reactions caused 10,600 deaths and the annual healthcare cost of $85 billion (Beers MH 2003 Arch. Int. Med.)
At York Law Firm, we have experience with litigating drug toxicity cases due to polypharmacy and adverse drug reaction cases where nursing homes used multiple medications that had drug-drug interactions, drug-disease interactions, or the combined drug effect on the central nervous system caused oversedation and death.
If you or your loved one has been the victim of medication errors or adverse drug reactions at a skilled nursing facility, hospital or assisted living facility, please contact our team at York Law Firm so that we can investigate your case. We are dedicated to representing elders and dependent adults who have been injured, neglected, or abused.