If a doctor prescribes experimental drugs, is this medical malpractice?

When a doctor prescribes experimental drugs, there are certain circumstances that can lead to medical malpractice. However, this is not always the case. To be held liable for medical malpractice the doctor must provide the patient with substandard treatment that results in injury to the patient.

Standard of Treatment and Informed Consent

Treatment is substandard when it falls below the standard of treatment that a reasonable doctor in the same profession would provide. The standard of treatment that is expected by a doctor when prescribing an experimental drug is called informed consent. This means that a doctor is expected to inform the patient that the drug is in fact experimental, as well as be knowledgeable about, and inform the patient of, the drug’s known risks. The patient always has an absolute right to decline the prescription. If the patient does decide to use the experimental drug, the doctor should have them sign a consent form.

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When Malpractice Results from Prescribing Experimental Drugs

If a doctor fails to inform the patient of the experimental drug’s known risks; if he or she fails to adequately research the known risks before prescribing it, and if the patient is later injured by the experimental drug, the doctor may be held liable for medical malpractice. However, even if the doctor researches the drug, provides the patient with all of the drugs known risks, and has them sign a consent form, this does not give the doctor 100% protection against liability for the consequences of the experimental drug. For instance, many experimental drugs require the doctor to strictly monitor their patient for potential harmful side effects. If a doctor fails to diagnose or ignores harmful side effects that come from the use of the drug, this may be grounds for malpractice.

Malpractice & Experimental Drug Intended Use

If a doctor prescribes an experimental drug for a type of illness or injury that the drug is not intended for, this can be grounds for a medical malpractice suit. Liability for a malpractice suit can also arise from prescribing the experimental drug longer than is permitted or necessary, or subjecting the patient to an overdose of the experimental drug. Malpractice liability can also result from a negligent misdiagnosis that leads the doctor to prescribe the experimental drug. For example, if a benign tumor was diagnosed as malignant, and a doctor prescribed the patient an experimental chemotherapy, which resulted in harm to the patient because of the misdiagnoses – this would be grounds for malpractice liability.

Filing a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

If you have been injured by an experimental drug, you may want to consult with a medical malpractice attorney in your area if you think a medical professional is at fault. A medical malpractice attorney will help you determine if there are grounds for a medical malpractice claim. An attorney is also helpful in filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, as these types of claims can quickly become complex litigation. Even if there are no grounds for medical malpractice, there may be grounds for a product liability suit.

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Consulting a Product Liability Attorney

If you think there was a problem with the drug manufacturer or marketer, you should contact a product liability attorney. It may be that the while the doctor acted within his or her professional standard of care in prescribing the drug, the drug manufacturer could have acted improperly, or falsified reports to gain approval to test an experimental drug.

Case Studies: Medical Malpractice and Experimental Drug Prescriptions

Case Study 1: Failure to Provide Informed Consent

A patient seeks treatment from a doctor who prescribes an experimental drug without adequately informing them of its known risks. The patient experiences severe side effects and is injured as a result. The doctor may be held liable for medical malpractice due to the failure to obtain informed consent and provide appropriate information about the experimental drug.

Case Study 2: Negligent Monitoring and Diagnosis

A doctor properly informs the patient about the experimental drug and its associated risks. However, the doctor fails to diligently monitor the patient for potential harmful side effects or ignores symptoms related to the drug’s use. As a consequence, the patient experiences further harm or complications. The doctor’s failure to diagnose or address these issues may lead to a medical malpractice claim.

Case Study 3: Prescription for Unintended Use or Overdose

A doctor prescribes an experimental drug for a condition that the drug is not intended to treat. Alternatively, the doctor may prescribe the drug for longer than necessary or subject the patient to an overdose. These actions can potentially result in harm to the patient and may be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Case Study 4: Misdiagnosis and Harmful Prescription

A doctor misdiagnoses a benign tumor as malignant and prescribes the patient an experimental chemotherapy drug. The patient suffers harm due to the unnecessary use of the experimental drug based on the misdiagnosis. The doctor’s negligent misdiagnosis and subsequent prescription of the experimental drug can be the basis for a medical malpractice claim.

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