Check Your Perscription.

[Disney Ontario]

Hi Always check your perscription after been filled. Just got back from pharmacy with DD"s perscription. Box said "60 tablets" I counted 23. Called down and talked to the pharmasist, He double checked, "sorry for the mistake I will put the rest aside for you". They have two other ladies back there working too. That was TOO big of a miss count. It wasn't even in the right container. Just a different box with a label sticker on top.

 

[chager]

You should always know what your meds are and check to make sure that is what you are given. My grandma was given the wrong meds and it nearly killed her. I was given a totally wrong container. It had someone else's name on it even. My drugs someone else's name. Then they gave me the container with my name but not the correct medication. I knew what I was suppossed to get, an antibiotic but I got heart meds!

 

[3princesses4us]

Funny I should see this today. I just got my thyroid meds refilled like always and for some reason this month, instead of 50 mcg, they gave me 3 months worth of 150 mcg!! Good think I checked.
Thanks for the reminder!

 

[Eeyore in Texas]

You should always know what your meds are and check to make sure that is what you are given. My grandma was given the wrong meds and it nearly killed her. I was given a totally wrong container. It had someone else's name on it even. My drugs someone else's name. Then they gave me the container with my name but not the correct medication. I knew what I was suppossed to get, an antibiotic but I got heart meds!

Everyone should do this !!! (and this comes from a clinical pharmacist)...

 

[ducklite]

I prefer it when they fill the script with the original sealed bottle from the manufacturer. That cuts down on a lot of mistakes.

Anne

 

[Forevryoung]

One of my meds is a transdermal patch that I change daily- so a month's supply is a box of 30... that's all they come.

I needed a refill and I got to the pharmacy and they said "oh, it's going to be another half hour, we have to double check the count"

I suggested they check what medication they were giving me because it comes in a precounted BOX.

So I had to wait an additional 20 minutes while they put the correct medication through the insurance company and handed me the box of 30

I've gotten to the bottom of the container a few times and found one left. That would be ok if I took one a day but I definitely swollow 4 a day... there shouldn't be any left! Someone miscounted by one...

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

once when DD was 1 year old, Walgreens made the label say "give one TABLESPOON" when it was suppose to say "Give One TEASPOON.'
'

If I had not been at the doctor with my DD when he told me what and how much he was prescribing........she would have been getting THREE TIMES as much medicine every dose as she was suppose to get.......

 

[cassie]

I have mail order and I always count the 90 tablets. One time I was short 4 pills and I called to tell them. I felt foolish, but after reading in the news of pharmacys shorting people, I called. No problem, the shortage was sent.

 

[Aidensmom]

I used to work in a group home for mentally ill adults, and they usually filled their prescriptions at the pharmacy closest to the home. It was our policy to count the meds when they brought them back to be put in the med cabinet. This pharmacy (a major FL chain at the time which has since been bought out) ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS shorted people and we would have to send them back.

Just for the heck of it, I filled my own prescription there once to see if I would be shorted too, or if they were taking advantage of my clients. Indeed, I was shorted too.

I learned my lesson, always count.

 

[Chattyaholic]

I was shorted on a prescription once, and really had a hard time deciding if I should call or not. I mean, I was at home and it would be "my word against theirs", - why should they believe me, really? But I decided it wouldn't hurt anything to call, and they did apologize and said they would give me the rest the next time I came in, and they did. I always count now.

And once I got someone else's prescription by mistake. It was my name on the outside of the bag, but someone else's name and prescription inside. I was just glad I hadn't driven all the way home before discovering the mistake.

 

[Lorix2]

That is a great reminder. I always check our rx's anyway because I'm always fearful of a mistake. Before we leave the dr's office, I always ask them to tell me exactly how much should be taken, how many mg's, etc.. so I can double check that myself when picking up the rx.

Fortunately there's never been a mistake.

 

[lovethattink]

My dh is a pharmacist at a major chain. His chain has a 4 step Rx check to help reduce errors. There are several different time where he has to input his ok into the computer throughout the prescription filling. This is great for making sure it's the right drug in the right bottle, but it does add alot of extra time. The minimum time to refill just 1 prescription has increased at least 3 fold because of the extra steps.

As for counting the pill, they rarely have to count. Once the order is put in the computer, the pills automatically drop from a huge dispenser. They are required to spot check every so many dispensings, but not every single one. These machines are put in place to expidite filling and cut down on staff hours. However they are not error proof in their counting.

I saw an informational video from a manufacturer of pharmacy equipment. It was to show how mail order pharmacies can fill tons of prescriptions quickly, using automation for all but 2 steps. The pharmacist/tech fills the canisters with appropriate medicine, the bottles travel by conveyor belt, there is a machine that labels the bottle, screws on the cap, etc. At the end a pharmacist opens each bottle to make sure the right pills are in the right bottle.

 

[Disney Doll]

After having an error once, I always step aside so they can wait on the next person, but stand right there in the counter area and examine the Rx, count the pills, make sure they look like the right pills etc. Then if there is a problem, you haven't left the store yet, so no one can say "well you went home and took 5 pills out of the bottle to get an extra 5".