Nursing Home Medication Errors

What Are Nursing Home Medication Errors?

Nursing home medication errors occur when residents do not receive their prescribed drugs correctly or on time. Even small mistakes can cause dangerous reactions or lasting harm.

Facilities must ensure medications are given exactly as ordered so residents stay safe and healthy. When this does not happen, it may be a warning sign of nursing home neglect.

A nursing home medication error can occur when staff members:

• Administer the wrong drug or dosage
• Fail to monitor for possible side effects
• Give medications at the wrong time
• Ignore care plans or doctor’s orders
• Mix up residents’ prescriptions
• Overuse medications or give unnecessary drugs
• Skip doses or delay administration

Medication errors in nursing homes often happen in busy or poorly supervised facilities where untrained staff fail to follow basic safety steps. These preventable mistakes can be deadly. Families deserve answers and justice when nursing home medication errors cause harm.

The Nursing Home Abuse Center partners with a nationwide network of experienced attorneys who have recovered over $318 million for families harmed in long-term care facilities.

Get a free case review right now to find out if we can help if your family was harmed due to nursing home medication errors..

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Statistics on Nursing Home Medication Errors (2025)

• About 1 in 3 Medicare nursing home residents experiences harm in the first month, and nearly 60% of these events are preventable.
• About 37% involve medication errors, making drug-related mistakes one of the leading causes of preventable harm in nursing homes.
• High-risk drugs like blood thinners (warfarin), diabetes medications, and opioids cause the most severe injuries and wrongful nursing home deaths.
• At least 165 residents were hospitalized or died from warfarin-related medication errors in a 5-year period, according to federal investigations.

Common Causes of Nursing Home Medication Errors

Nursing home medication errors often occur when facilities fail to follow proper procedures. Federal long-term care medication administration guidelines require each dose to be given exactly as prescribed, recorded, and monitored. When nursing homes ignore these standards, residents can be seriously harmed or pass away.

In one case, staff failed to give a woman her prescribed medication for 19 days and gave her roommate’s drugs instead. The 74-year-old suffered a severe reaction and spent more than a week in a medically induced coma.

Here are 5 common causes of nursing home medication errors:

1. Understaffing and heavy workloads: Too few workers handling too many residents increases the chance of rushed or missed medications.
2. Poor communication between shifts or providers: Incomplete updates or missing notes can cause duplicate doses or discontinued drugs to be given.
3. Inadequate nursing home staff training: Aides who are not properly trained in safe administration practices are more likely to make mistakes.
4. Faulty or incomplete recordkeeping: Missing charts or outdated medication lists can lead to confusion about what has been provided.
5. Lack of supervision and quality control: When management fails to oversee how medications are prepared and given, unsafe practices go unchecked.

A nursing home not giving medication correctly or on time is never acceptable. Families have a right to expect professional care that meets all safety and documentation requirements.

When these failures lead to serious injury or death, it may be considered nursing home medical malpractice, and families may be able to take legal action.

Get a free case review right now to see if you qualify.

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Nursing Home Medication Errors and Chemical Restraints

Some nursing homes misuse powerful antipsychotic drugs as chemical restraints, giving residents medication for staff convenience or behavior control instead of legitimate medical need. This practice violates federal law and puts residents at serious risk.

“The use of antipsychotic drugs as chemical restraints — for staff convenience or to ‘discipline’ a resident — has a long history in nursing homes.”

– Washington Post

Drugs like Haldol^® (haloperidol), Seroquel^® (quetiapine), and Risperdal^® (risperidone) are approved to treat conditions such as schizophrenia, but are often used to control dementia-related behavioral problems.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), about 1 in 6 nursing home residents receives an antipsychotic drug without a proper diagnosis.

These medications can almost double the risk of death in older adults with dementia and often leave residents sedated or unable to communicate. Federal regulations require informed consent before these drugs are used, but many facilities skip this step or minimize the risks.

Signs of Nursing Home Medication Errors

Nursing home medication errors can be hard to detect, especially when residents already have chronic conditions or memory loss. Still, certain warning signs can be red flags that a resident is not getting their prescriptions properly.

Common signs of nursing home medication errors include:

• Appetite changes, like refusing food or a sudden loss of interest in eating
• Behavior changes, including agitation, confusion, or unusual sleepiness
• Bruising or unexplained bleeding that may signal medication mix-ups involving blood thinners
• New or worsening health issues like dizziness, infections, internal bleeding, or uncontrolled blood pressure
• Staff behavior changes, such as defensive answers, inconsistent explanations, or missing documentation
• Unusual medication schedules or skipped doses without clear records

Any of these issues could mean that a resident’s medications are being mishandled or that staff are not following proper safety procedures. Spotting mistakes early is the first step toward preventing further harm and holding the facility accountable.

Medication Errors in Assisted Living and Long-Term Care

Medication errors in long-term care facilities, like assisted living, memory care, or continuing care communities, happen for many of the same reasons as in nursing homes, but oversight and staffing are often weaker.

Assisted living centers often rely on medication aides instead of licensed nurses, increasing the risk of missed doses, wrong medications, or poor monitoring.

Many residents in these facilities have chronic illnesses, dementia, or mobility issues that make accurate medication administration critical for their safety and stability.

When medication errors in assisted living facilities occur, families often face confusion about who is accountable — the facility, a nurse or caregiver, or the prescribing doctor.

Knowing who is responsible is key to holding a facility accountable. An experienced nursing home attorney can review medical charts, identify where the mistake occurred, and determine if staff or administrators violated care standards.

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High-Risk Drugs and Common Types of Nursing Home Medication Errors

Some medications need close monitoring because even small mistakes can cause serious harm. CMS and the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA) have identified those most often linked to drug-related injuries and deaths in nursing homes.

3 of the most common drugs linked to nursing home medication errors include:

1. Blood thinners: Used to prevent blood clots and strokes, wrong doses can cause internal bleeding or clotting. Common examples include Eliquis^® (apixaban), Xarelto^® (rivaroxaban), and Coumadin^® (warfarin).
2. Diabetes medications: These drugs control blood sugar levels, and incorrect doses can cause dangerous highs or lows. Common examples include Amaryl® (glimepiride) and insulin (various brands).
3. Pain medications: These treat moderate to severe pain, and giving too much or mixing them with sedatives can slow breathing or cause death. Common examples include morphine, oxycodone, and other opioids.

These are some of the most serious wrong-dose medication error examples seen in nursing homes. Prescription drugs can save lives when given correctly, but they quickly become dangerous when handled carelessly.

When nursing home staff members fail to follow safe medication practices, it may be a sign of neglect.

Nursing Home Medication Regulations

Nursing homes are legally required to provide safe, consistent care for every resident, including giving medications exactly as prescribed. Federal rules from CMS set strict standards for handling, storing, and providing medications in all licensed nursing homes.

Each nursing home must have written procedures for medication safety and staff training. These rules are designed to prevent mistakes and protect residents from harm.

Nursing homes are expected to:

• Administer each medication safely and on time
• Communicate with families before adding, stopping, or changing medications
• Follow all federal and state medication error reporting guidelines
• Keep accurate records of every prescription and dose given
• Understand each resident’s full medical history before giving any medication
• Watch for side effects and notify a doctor right away if problems occur

While no system can eliminate all errors, these regulations exist to make sure nursing homes do everything possible to keep residents safe. When a facility fails to follow required safety standards, serious or fatal mistakes can occur.

How to Prevent Medication Errors in Nursing Homes

Nursing homes can prevent medication errors by hiring enough qualified staff, following doctors’ orders exactly, and tracking every dose given.

5 key steps that help prevent nursing home medication errors include:

1. Adequate staffing: Ensuring enough qualified nurses and aides are available to give medications on time and monitor residents for any side effects
2. Comprehensive training: Teaching all staff how to follow doctors’ orders, document doses correctly, and recognize warning signs of drug reactions
3. Accurate recordkeeping: Keeping up-to-date medication lists, reviewing them after any hospital transfer, and checking for duplicate or conflicting prescriptions
4. Routine oversight: Conducting regular audits of medication passes to catch missed or incorrect doses before they cause harm
5. Open communication: Encouraging families to ask questions about medications and requiring staff to notify doctors and relatives of changes

When facilities fail to follow safety guidelines, nursing home medication errors cause serious or fatal harm. Families can help play a role in prevention by staying informed, reviewing care plans, and watching for sudden changes in behavior or health.

If you suspect a loved one was affected, your family may have legal options for medication error injuries in nursing homes.

“You don’t need to have all the answers to take action. A lawyer for nursing home neglect​ can listen to your concerns and help determine if your loved one’s rights may have been violated.”

— Ricky LeBlanc, nursing home neglect lawyer

Nursing Home Medication Malpractice

Serious or fatal medication errors may be considered nursing home medical malpractice when licensed staff fail to follow accepted standards of care.

Examples of nursing home medication malpractice include:

• Failure to monitor: Nurses neglect to check lab results, blood sugar, or medication side effects as required by care plans.
• Improper administration: Licensed staff give the wrong drug, dosage, or route of medication, putting residents at immediate risk.
• Ignoring medical orders: A nurse or provider changes, adds, or stops medications without a doctor’s approval.
• Poor medication management: The facility’s licensed nursing staff members fail to maintain proper storage, labeling, or documentation, leading to missed or duplicate doses.

Medication mistakes involving unlicensed aides or systemic failures may also reflect nursing home negligence. In some cases, residents are given medications without consent or family notification, causing severe or fatal reactions.

If you or a loved one was harmed by a medication error in a nursing home, get a free consultation now to see if you can take legal action.

Get a Free Case Review by

Fight back against nursing home abuse and neglect — start now with a free case review.

Start My Free Case Reviewor call (855) 264-6310

Reporting Medication Errors in Nursing Homes

If a medication mistake happens in a nursing home, it’s crucial to act fast. Reporting what occurred protects your loved one and helps expose unsafe or neglectful care.

Families can report nursing home medication errors to:

• Emergency services (911): Call if your loved one shows signs of distress, overdose, or internal bleeding.
• Long-term care ombudsman: Ombudsmen are trained advocates who help residents and families resolve problems with care and safety.
• State health investigators: File a complaint with your state’s health department or nursing home inspection agency. These agencies can investigate and cite the facility for violations.
• Nursing home abuse law firm: Skilled attorneys can investigate what happened, review medical records, and determine if negligence occurred.

Reporting a medication error does more than protect your loved one — it can also prevent the same mistakes from harming other residents..

Get Legal Help for Nursing Home Medication Errors

Families trust nursing homes to give medications correctly and follow doctors’ orders. When that trust is broken, residents can suffer serious or even fatal harm.

If nursing home medication errors hurt your loved one, legal action may help your family get the care and support you need. Filing a nursing home negligence claim can also hold the facility accountable for unsafe practices.

The Nursing Home Abuse Center has experienced legal partners who can help in all 50 states. Together, they have secured over $318 million for nursing home abuse and neglect for families across the country.

Call us right now at (855) 264-6310 or fill out this form to find out if you can file a nursing home neglect case.