VENT: carefully check your

Prescriptions when you pick them up from the pharmacy. Thank God I did! I just picked up my son's prescription vitamins from cvs and came home, was about to give him it, and realized the bottle was a different strength. I called the pharmacy and they apologized and said that it was their error!! Yes people make mistakes sometimes, but professions like doctor's and pharmacist should ALWAYS go back to dot their i's and cross their t's. It wound up being DOUBLE the strength! They asked me right away if I gave him one and luckily I didn't. I'm sure that he probably would have been OK but I know too much fluoride, iron, or vitamin k is dangerous. And what if it was a real drug that they screwed up on?? I'm so p'ed off. That's not even funny!!!!

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Oh my thank god you checked it!!!

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wow good thing you checked

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I was given someone else's RX when I was pregnant. When I came back with the bottle the pharmacist was falling all over himself trying to make things right. Hey saved a $20 copay and learned a very valuable lesson.

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That is so scary,,,I just checked all my prescriptions!

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I don't usually check that closely... Just happened to notice this time.

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Good thing you checked. I check too because I've heard horror stories in the news before about things like this.

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One time my husband went to pick up a regular routine prescription and they gave him someone else's prescription completely and it was a painkiller! The person's name was very close to his but it's still so bad. How can they just give out painkillers mistakenly??? It's really absurd and I'm sure it happens all the itme which is the scariest part about it!

Re: VENT: carefully check your

As a pharmacist, I'd like to respond to this.

First of all, please do not think that my response in any any way excusing any mistakes that have occurred.

This is one of the reasons that NYS implemented laws stating that a person picking up a prescription MUST be counseled every time! I know many of the pharmacies don't do it, but if they don't, you should insist. Many customers also often refuse to be counseled stating not enough time, or that they already know everything about the medication. This is one of your first opportunities to check to make sure that everything is right. The pharmacist is supposed to go over the medicine, what it is used for, how to take it, and what to expect. Then you should have an opportunity to ask questions.

Unfortunately, mistakes do happen. I'm definately not saying that they should, but the reality is that when one pharmacy is filling 300-400 prescriptions per day, it is too much! Alot of times, the pharmacist checks the prescription against the label and then checks the pills in the bottle, but it is an intern or a technician who puts it in the bag, and it may end up being in the wrong bag because they have so many prescriptions being filled every day.

Two things you can do to try to avoid this is to always check your medication before taking/giving it and to try to go to the stores that are not as busy.

You should also know that many of the pharmacists working in the chain stores often have to work 10-12 hours a day without so much as a coffee break! I know it's against every labor law there is, but the pharmacy also can not legally be open without a pharmacist there. This is why some (Target, Wal-Mart) have started closing in the middle of the day. People need to take a break to rest or mistakes like this do happen.

Believe me, I'm not excusing errors that pharmacists make, I'm just trying to explain how they can happen, and asking everybody to please be involved as well.

Re: VENT: carefully check your