Opioid Overdose: Is it Medical Malpractice?

The Connecticut Department of Public Health recently launched a campaign to prevent opioid overdose across the state. Drugs in the opioid family include illegal forms, like heroin, and legal forms like codeine, methadone, oxycodone (Percocet, Oxycontin, Percodan), hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, Norco), fentanyl, hydromorphone, and buprenorphine. The legal form of opioid drugs are only available through a prescription by a licenced Connecticut physician.

Opioid overdose can occur in four ways:

1. The user takes the drug recreationally;
2. The prescribing physician miscalculates the dosage for the patient;
3. A nurse administers the incorrect dosage to the patient;
4. The pharmacist dispenses the incorrect dosage to the patient.

The latter three are considered medical malpractice when an error, like prescribing, administering, or dispensing an incorrect dosage leaves the patient with permanent injuries including death.

There is a limited window to the amount of time you have to file a medical malpractice claim in Connecticut. Contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney to discuss your situation.