Before thinking about paperwork or claims, focus on safety:
- Get medical advice promptly if you’re having symptoms you didn’t expect, worsening conditions, or side effects that seem out of proportion.
- Tell the treating clinician exactly what you received (the medication name, strength, and instructions).
- Request a medication reconciliation—a formal review that compares what you were supposed to take versus what you were actually given.
- Preserve the physical evidence: pill bottles, packaging, pharmacy label, discharge medication lists, and any after-visit summaries.
In California, documentation often becomes the backbone of causation—especially when the defense argues the harm was unrelated or pre-existing. The sooner you lock down the details, the easier it is to show what changed after the error.


