Opiate Medication Overdose & Medical Malpractice

Opiates are a class of medications primarily used for pain management. More than any other class of drugs, opiates allow patients to manage their pain and live more normally. If they are administered under a doctor's supervision, opiate medications are safe for long-term daily use. But these medications also pose dangers. The difference between an effective dose and a life-threatening overdose is small, meaning that drug interactions and prescription errors can be fatal.

Opiate medications are derived from opium, a substance produced by the poppy plant. The primary pain-killing chemical in opium is morphine, which is still among the most powerful medications known to science. Codeine, another component of opium, is used as a cough suppressant and for pain management. There are also a number of semi-synthetic opiate drugs, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, which are derived in a laboratory from the various chemicals in opium.

The effects of opium been known for a very long time: the use of opium for medical and recreational purposes predates the invention of writing, the wheel, and the sword. Aside from reducing pain and inducing euphoria, opiate medications also suppress breathing. Opiate overdose kills people by slowing their breathing until it stops completely. It only takes 120 to 250 milligrams of pure morphine to cause death. Other opiate drugs are similarly powerful.

Doctors, pharmacists, and other medical professionals should be absolutely certain they are giving patients the correct dose of their medication. Receiving the incorrect dose can lead to overdose and death. They should also be absolutely certain their patients are aware of the dangers of their prescriptions and should make sure they are not at risk for a drug interaction.

Prescription errors cause tens of thousands of deaths yearly. If you or someone you love has been seriously harmed because of an opiate overdose caused by a prescription error or drug interaction, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, losses, and suffering.

For more information on topics related to medical malpractice and personal injury law, visit the website of the Kankakee medical malpractice lawyers of Spiros & Wall, P.C.