The human body comes in thousands of different sizes and forms. Although there are certain standards that doctors learn in medicine, most people vary from the standard in some way. Some people even have their organs on the opposite side of their body when compared with the majority of the population.
Those differences are exactly why people have different reactions to medications and treatments. Even when a doctor knows your medical history, they may not be able to accurately predict how you will respond to a medication.
In order to keep you safe, your doctor should proactively monitor you when you begin a new medication. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, which can leave you at risk for a poor outcome.
Your doctor should let you know about common and concerning side effects
Medications that create reactions in your body can sometimes cause unintended secondary consequences, which doctors call side effects. The side effects for medications don’t always affect everyone who takes them.
Some of them may only affect a tiny portion of the people prescribed a particular drug. Regardless of how uncommon side effects may be, your doctor should make a point of informing you about them. Just handing you a pamphlet isn’t enough.
They should let you know what side effects are common and what ones could warn of a severe reaction. That way, you know what to report to them and what to watch for when you go home.
There should be a follow up and potentially even testing
While you shouldn’t have to sit in the hospital to wait and find out how a medication affects your body, your doctor also shouldn’t wash their hands of you as soon as you walk out of the appointment. It is important for doctors to follow up with patients a few days and a few weeks after they begin a new drug.
Failing to do so could mean overlooking the early signs of problems. In some cases, doctors may need to perform tests to make sure that the drug isn’t affecting the performance of other parts of your body. Doctors who fail to do follow-up and necessary testing put their patients at risk for no good reason.
Doctors should warn you about potential and known interactions
If you see a number of specialists, they may not all know what the other doctors recommend. Even if you only see one physician, you may take herbal remedies or supplements that could impact how well a medicine works.
Your doctor should make a point of telling you about any known and serious drug interactions involving a new medication. They should review your medical file to make sure you aren’t on a drug that could cause issues. Your pharmacist should do the same thing. Failing to check a patient’s history or warn them of interactions could mean totally unnecessary medical consequences that could have been avoided with a few seconds of conversation.
Making a mistake with medication, including failing to properly monitor a patient, is a form of medical malpractice. If you or a loved one suffers adverse medical effects because of a poorly administered or monitored drug, you may be able to take legal action in Kentucky against the doctor or hospital involved in your care. Sitting down to talk with an experienced medical malpractice attorney can help you decide if you have grounds for legal action.