Children depend on health care providers to prescribe and administer medications safely. When pediatric medication errors occur, the consequences can be devastating. Understanding the types of medication errors that affect children, recognizing warning signs, and knowing your legal options can help protect your family.
If your child has been harmed by a medication mistake, Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet’s Kansas City medical malpractice lawyers can evaluate your case and help you navigate the path forward. Below, our team shares critical information about the important topic of pediatric medication mistakes.
Five Common Types of Pediatric Medication Errors
Medical professionals must follow strict medication safety protocols when prescribing, dispensing, and administering medications to children. When these protocols fail, serious injuries can result. Common pediatric medication errors include:
Miscalculating the Dosage
Incorrect dosage calculations represent one of the most frequent medication errors affecting children. Unlike adult dosing, pediatric medications require precise weight- or age-based calculations. A miscalculation of just a few milligrams can cause toxic levels of medication in a child's system. Nurses, pharmacists, and physicians must double-check these calculations, yet incorrect dosage calculation errors occur with alarming frequency.
Administering the Wrong Medication
Wrong medication administration happens when a child receives a drug different from what was prescribed. This can occur when medications have similar names or packaging, when electronic medical records contain errors, or when staff members fail to verify patient identity properly. These mix-ups can trigger severe allergic reactions or dangerous drug interactions.
Prescribing the Wrong Medication
Prescription errors occur when doctors prescribe inappropriate medications for a child's condition, age, or weight. Common prescription errors include failing to account for a child's existing medications, overlooking known allergies, or prescribing adult formulations instead of pediatric versions.
Making Errors When Compounding Custom Medication
A pharmacy must carefully measure and mix ingredients to create the correct concentration of custom medications for pediatric use. Mistakes in the compounding process can result in too strong, too weak, or contaminated medication. Quality control procedures are in place to catch compounding errors, but gaps in oversight can allow dangerous preparations to slip through.
Failing to Monitor Medication Response Properly
Monitoring failures occur when medical staff fail to properly track a child's response to medication. For example, some drugs require regular blood tests to ensure safe therapeutic levels, while others need careful observation for side effects or adverse reactions. When providers don't monitor medication effects adequately, children can develop preventable complications.
Potential Consequences of Pediatric Medication Errors
The potential impact of medication errors on children extends far beyond the immediate medical crisis. Preventable medication safety mistakes can alter the course of a child's entire life.
Physical Injuries
Physical injuries from medication errors may range from temporary discomfort to dire consequences. For example:
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A child might experience organ damage affecting the liver, kidneys, or heart.
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Neurological injuries can impair cognitive function, motor skills, or sensory abilities.
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Some children develop chronic conditions requiring lifelong medical management.
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In the most tragic circumstances, medication errors can prove fatal.
Developmental Setbacks
Developmental setbacks can occur when medication errors affect a growing child. These delays can have cascading effects on academic performance, social relationships, and future opportunities. For example:
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Critical periods of brain development, physical growth, or skill acquisition may be disrupted.
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A child recovering from a serious medication error might miss important educational milestones or social experiences with peers.
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Some developmental impacts don't become apparent until years after the initial error occurred.
Emotional Trauma
The psychological toll of a serious medication error can persist long after physical injuries heal. Emotional trauma affects both the child and the entire family.
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A young patient who experiences a medication error may develop anxiety about medical settings, making future necessary treatments more difficult.
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Parents often struggle with guilt, anger, and fear about their child's prognosis.
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Siblings may feel neglected as family resources focus on the injured child's recovery.
Financial Burden
Financial burdens compound the suffering caused by medication errors. These costs can quickly exceed hundreds of thousands of dollars, threatening the family's financial stability and limiting opportunities for all family members. For example:
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Families often face mounting medical bills for treatments related to the consequences that result from a medication error.
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Parents may need to reduce their work hours or leave their jobs entirely to care for a child injured as a result of a medication mistake. Special equipment, home modifications, or ongoing therapies create additional expenses.
Long-Term Care Needs
Long-term care may be necessary, though the full extent may not be known immediately. Instead, the full scope of long-term care needs often emerges as children grow and the full extent of their injuries becomes clear.
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Some children require assistive devices, specialized education services, or modified living arrangements.
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Others need regular medical monitoring or repeat procedures to address ongoing complications.
Key Steps for Parents to Take When a Medication Error Harms Their Child
Taking prompt action after discovering a medication error protects your child's health and preserves your legal rights.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
If you experience any concerning symptoms, seek immediate medical attention. Don't wait to see if symptoms resolve on their own.
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Depending on the severity of symptoms, call your child's doctor, contact a poison control center, or go to the emergency room.
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Be prepared to provide information about all medications your child has received, including the name, dosage, and timing of administration.
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Bring medication bottles or packaging if possible.
Keep Thorough Documentation
Document everything related to the medication error, as this information will become crucial evidence if you decide to pursue a medical malpractice claim.
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Take photos of medication bottles, prescriptions, and any visible symptoms your child experiences.
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Write down the sequence of events, including who prescribed the medication, where it was filled, when it was given, and when symptoms appeared.
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Save all medical records, pharmacy receipts, and correspondence with health care providers.
Report the Medication Error
Report the medication error to the appropriate authorities. These reports create an official record and may prevent similar errors from harming other children.
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Notify the prescribing physician, the pharmacy that dispensed the medication, and the hospital or clinic where treatment occurred.
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File a report with the Missouri Board of Pharmacy if a pharmacy error occurred.
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Contact the hospital's patient safety department or risk management office if the error occurred at a hospital.
Keep the Problematic Medication
If possible, preserve the medication that caused harm, as it is physical evidence that can be analyzed to confirm the error and establish what went wrong.
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Don't dispose of remaining pills or liquid medication.
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Keep the original packaging and any paperwork that came with the prescription.
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Even empty medication containers should be saved.
Seek Legal Advice
Medical malpractice claims involving children present unique legal considerations and require specialized knowledge, so it's important to consult a Kansas City medical malpractice lawyer with experience in pediatric cases. When preparing for a malpractice consultation with a lawyer, it's important to realize that:
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An attorney can review medical records, consult with expert witnesses, and determine whether negligence caused your child's injuries.
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Legal representation also relieves the burden of dealing with insurance companies and medical providers while you focus on your child's recovery.
How a Kansas City Medical Malpractice Lawyer Helps Families Pursue Compensation
Families in Kansas City and throughout Missouri deserve accountability when medical negligence harms their children. Pediatric medication errors cause preventable suffering, but legal action can provide compensation for medical expenses, secure resources for ongoing care, and hold negligent parties responsible.
Protecting your child’s legal rights and those of your family starts with consulting an experienced malpractice attorney, such as the Kansas City medical malpractice lawyers at Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet. Our team has experience with pediatric injury cases, and we’re here to help you understand your rights and navigate the complexities of pursuing fair compensation. You can count on us to:
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Investigate the circumstances surrounding the medication error, inlcuding obtaining and reviewing medical records, interviewing witnesses, and consulting with medical experts.
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Handle communication with insurance companies and defense attorneys to protect your interests and ensure your family's story is heard while also preventing you from making statements that could harm your case.
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Calculate the full value of your family's claim, including current and future medical expenses, rehabilitation and therapy costs, lost wages for missed work, pain and suffering, and compensation for permanent disabilities or reduced quality of life.
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Negotiate on your behalf or take your case to trial if an appropriate and sufficient settlement cannot be reached.