About Medication Errors

When patients experience adverse reactions to or lack of benefit from medications, lawsuits can result. These suits allege such errors as: failing to check the patient’s chart when prescribing medication; prescribing improper dosages; failing to consider and advise patients of potential side effects or interactions with other drugs; prescribing drugs the patient is allergic to; prescribing drugs outside the physician’s specialty; and prescribing drugs for non-patients.

To avoid allegations related to improper prescribing, consider the following guidelines.

• Reconcile patient medications at every patient encounter or transition of care, in which new medications are ordered or administered or existing medication orders are rewritten.

• Reconcile patient medications at every patient encounter or transition of care, in which new medications are ordered or administered or existing medication orders are rewritten.

• Check the patient’s medical record when refilling a medication. Request that the patient come for an office visit, if appropriate, before authorizing a refill.

• In the patient’s chart, record medications and allergies in a central location or be sure to include all medications in the electronic record. Update this information at each visit.

• Provide the patient with information about the drug, and document discussions and any handouts given.

• Be familiar with the drug prescribed. Refer the patient to a specialist if he or she requires a drug that is outside your scope of practice.

• When prescribing drugs off-label or in dosages exceeding those recommended, document your rationale. Also document that you discussed the risks and benefits of the treatment with the patient.

• When a patient calls describing unusual symptoms, the prescribing physician should be alerted.
• If a pharmacy calls to question a prescription, check the original order.

• Make sure any handwritten prescriptions are legible and that dosages are correctly noted.


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Review any applicable state laws for requirements regarding opioid prescribing. Most states have passed laws that require increased monitoring of patients who receive controlled medications. Reviewing a patient’s prescription history via monitoring programs before prescribing controlled substances is recommended.