Medications save lives every day, but they can also have side effects that are dangerous or even deadly. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for attempting to regulate prescriptions to help educate consumers in Ohio and across the nation of possible drug injuries and hazards by placing safety warnings on the medications and their accompanying literature. When these warnings are ignored, the results could be fatal.
Three doctors are facing the consequences for allegedly disregarding these warnings, and for their apparent negligence, they have been named as defendants in a wrongful death lawsuit. In addition, the plaintiff is suing McKay Dee Hospital where his wife was treated, and its parent company, IHC Health Services. The lawsuit is on behalf of the man’s wife, who died after the three physicians administered a medication called Haldol.
The patient was given the drug to treat for her confusion and agitation despite an FDA safety warning on the box that would seemingly counterindicate the medication. The warning stated that, in elderly patients who suffered from dementia related psychosis, usage of the drug has been linked to increased mortality. The 72-year-old patient had a history of seeking medical treatment for dementia-related psychosis, according to the suit.
The complaint alleges that, at the hospital, the woman’s health had been improving prior to being given the Haldol, but as doctors repeatedly administered excessive doses of the medication, her physical and mental health declined. Despite this, doctors apparently continued to administer the drug until she was finally discovered in a catatonic state prior to her death, after which the grieving husband spoke with a lawyer and filed a wrongful death suit. Anyone in Ohio who has similarly lost a loved one or suffered drug injuries due to the negligence of a physician might benefit from discussing options for justice and compensation with an attorney experienced in pharmaceutical litigation.
Source: standard.net, “McKay Dee Hospital, 3 doctors face wrongful-death lawsuit”, Mark Shenefelt, July 4, 2017
