My brother and I have a mother in an assisted living facility in Florida. A doctor made changes in our mother's medications without notifying us. We thought that perhaps the doctor might be legally bound to notify us about the changes he decided to make in her medications.
Unless your mother has been declared incompetent to make her own decisions and you have authority to make her medical decisions, I doubt a doctor is legally obligated to inform you. It would be nice if you had a working relationship with her doctor such that he would let you know (assuming he has a HIPAA waiver from your mother allowing him to discuss confidential matters with you).
How serious of a side effect are you writing about? Was it something you would have know to say no to if only you had been asked?
Be Nice! You are angry at your doctor, and I don't blame you. But why lash out at a VOLUNTEER who is trying to help you?
If you want a 100% correct legal opinion, consider hiring a lawyer. Or look for a website that is focused on the law, like elderlawanswers or the NAELA website.
Individuals here share their knowledge based on their individual experience and expertise. We have plenty of legal experts, especially about elder abuse, Medicaid and veterans benefits. The focus of this website, however, is the emotional, physical, medical and financial aspects of caregiving. This is a support group. You are welcome to participate, and you will be amazed at how helpful we are.
Better yet, arrange to call in to the doctor's office next time she has an appointment .
You can't go backwards but you can talk with facility director and find out what forms you can fill out or get on file that going forward you must be notified on all future medications. If u want you can ask about her current mess and review those that are necessary and those u don't want her to have.