There are many issues that physicians face today that can result in some form of punitive action taken against their medical license. In some cases, it can even result in the loss of that license. One issue that has become particularly prevalent is allegations of overprescribing medications, especially for older patients.
Overprescribing Can Be a Real Problem
There is no denying that prescription drugs have become a problem for many people in the United States who struggle with drug addiction or other drug-related issues. According to national data, the number of Americans who are taking five or more medications has doubled over a 10-year period to approximately 15 percent. Prescription drugs can present a problem to seniors especially. Almost 45 percent of adults 65 years or older are taking five or more medications. This spike has led to a significant rise in the number of adverse drug events that happen each year, leading to increased scrutiny of the prescribing doctors.
Why Are Doctors Accused of Overprescribing?
The vast majority of doctors work hard to take good care of their patients. Sometimes, confounding factors can cause a doctor to accidentally or inadvertently overprescribe drugs, or to prescribe drugs that cause patients an adverse reaction without realizing the danger. Doctors may be accused of overprescribing medications to seniors for many reasons, including:
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The prevalence of painful health conditions suffered by elderly patients
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The societal demand for instant solutions by patients
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Issues with electronic medical record systems that make for a lack of coordination among a patient’s different medical providers
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Advertising for drugs that leads patients to directly pressure doctors to prescribe them
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False allegations against doctors
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False claims of pain or other symptoms by patients
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Patients failing to take their prescribed medications correctly
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Hospitals or private practices seeking to stave off liability onto one particular practitioner
These and many other reasons could lead doctors to be accused of wrongfully overprescribing medicine. Even doctors who carefully work with their patients’ best interests at heart may still be accused of overprescribing and become the subject of a long, difficult investigation into their practice.
Call a Chicago Medical License Defense Lawyer Today
If you are facing allegations of overprescribing that have resulted in alleged harm to a patient, you could be facing serious legal issues, including medical malpractice and action against your medical license. Contact Williams & Nickl, LLC at 312-335-9470 to schedule a free and confidential consultation and find out how our seasoned Chicago medical license defense attorneys can help defend you against these charges.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24848203
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2720029