Pregnant Colorado Woman Mistakenly Given Abortion Pill

[daisax]

I've always found it tedious that my pharmacy asks for the name, gets the bag out, then asks for the home address, but it makes sense as a secondary verification that you're giving the right package to the right person.

I read all the inserts, too, and make sure the pills are the same shape/size/color as the last time.

 

[Family Fun Mom]

I agree that this serves as a good wake up call and reminder to check your presciptions before you take any medicine but in no way is the pregant lady at fault for this. The pharmacy is 100% at fault and heads need to roll.

It horrifies me to think of what she is going through.

 

[disfan07]

I dont know if anyone else has posted this but this bothers me with the article.

Methotrexate is NOT only an abortion pill. Yes off label use of it is used in tubal pregnancies and can be used for very early medical abortions but that IS NOT the ON LABEL USE.

I am currently taking Methotrexate. It is used for chemo, psoriasis, RA, etc. It is an Immunosuppresent drug. I currently use it for a severe case of eczema.

I just hate that the article calls it an abortion pill.

On a side note...why on earth would you take a medication WITHOUT checking the bottle and pamphlet first??? I'm sorry, but she is partially responsible. I always check my meds even when they come from our neighborhood pharmacy where they know me very very well. This is where personal responsibility comes in. But then again, personal responsibility is something we are seeing less and less of in this country.

 

[Carnie]

I dont know if anyone else has posted this but this bothers me with the article.

Methotrexate is NOT only an abortion pill. Yes off label use of it is used in tubal pregnancies and can be used for very early medical abortions but that IS NOT the ON LABEL USE.

I am currently taking Methotrexate. It is used for chemo, psoriasis, RA, etc. It is an Immunosuppresent drug. I currently use it for a severe case of eczema.

I just hate that the article calls it an abortion pill.

On a side note...why on earth would you take a medication WITHOUT checking the bottle and pamphlet first??? I'm sorry, but she is partially responsible. I always check my meds even when they come from our neighborhood pharmacy where they know me very very well. This is where personal responsibility comes in. But then again, personal responsibility is something we are seeing less and less of in this country.

I agree. I just experienced a miscarriage. It was not progressing very quickly, and this medication was suggested to help things along. I did NOT have an abortion, and it bothers me to hear this medication referred to as an "abortion pill".

I ended up with a surgical intervention instead. But if I went the medication route, I would not have been taking an "abortion pill". That's hurtful to imply that's the use of this medicine.

 

[goofy!]

I was in the pharmacy recently and while I was waiting for my prescription a woman came in asking for a refund. Apparently she'd been given someone else's prescription the night before.

The pharmacist on duty (a really young guy) was incredibly upset. He rounded up the other staff and demanded to know who'd been on the night before and he kept saying, "That poor girl is SICK and she didn't get her meds!" He was actually near tears when I paid for my prescription.

It was nice to see that he cared, but it was a little scary to think of someone getting the wrong prescription the night before!

I think it must happen a lot.

It happened to me about 10 years ago, except that it was my prescription that was given to another person.

Back then, in my pharmacy, you signed a sticker with your name on it and they stuck it to a page in a book.

I went to go get my prescription and they were having a hard time finding it. I looked at the open book and saw my printed name and somebody's signature on my med's sticker. "Ummm... I know what happened to my prescription."

That person must really not have been paying attention as she signed a sticker with my name on it. Because of new privacy laws and technology, you sign electronically and your name is not shown, so it is actually easier now to sign for the wrong prescription.

I ALWAYS read all my bottles. Even in my few hospitalizations, I quizsed the nurse on what she was giving me or what she was hanging.

The pharmacy made a terrible mistake. I am in Colorado and apparently Safeway does not (or didn't in this case) ask for the address to verify the prescription. Although, my pharmacy is at Albertsons and they never ask me for my address. But we have a very unique last name.

However, I do agree that the woman also carries responsibility for not checking the bottle herself.

 

[Colleen27]

I'm curious, because we don't have Safeway in my area... The pharmacies I do go to locally, ranging from the little mom & pop in my town to a large chain where I was picking up medications for my grandmother before her death, all have a sign-out procedure where you sign something bearing the name/address/phone number information linked to the physical package the pharmacist has in hand for check out. So for me, it is hard to imagine how an error like this would happen because I would think most people would notice signing next to the wrong personal information.

Does Safeway not use a similar procedure?

 

[tlbwriter]

Methotrexate is NOT only an abortion pill. Yes off label use of it is used in tubal pregnancies and can be used for very early medical abortions but that IS NOT the ON LABEL USE.

I agree. After reading the subject line I thought she had been given RU-487, the actual "abortion pill." Methotrexate is a medication that can cause an abortion, but it is NOT an "abortion pill."

On a side note...why on earth would you take a medication WITHOUT checking the bottle and pamphlet first??? I'm sorry, but she is partially responsible. I always check my meds even when they come from our neighborhood pharmacy where they know me very very well. This is where personal responsibility comes in. But then again, personal responsibility is something we are seeing less and less of in this country.

Yeah, it was pretty stupid of her, IMHO, to swallow a med without even bothering to check the label. Even if you trust the pharmacy, what if there are instructions on the bottle like "take with food?" I'd say she's at least 25% responsible.

 

[EveDallas]

I agree. I just experienced a miscarriage. It was not progressing very quickly, and this medication was suggested to help things along. I did NOT have an abortion, and it bothers me to hear this medication referred to as an "abortion pill".

I ended up with a surgical intervention instead. But if I went the medication route, I would not have been taking an "abortion pill". That's hurtful to imply that's the use of this medicine.

ITA. When I read "abortion pill", I was thinking of RU-486 .

 

[Jennasis]

I agree. I just experienced a miscarriage. It was not progressing very quickly, and this medication was suggested to help things along. I did NOT have an abortion, and it bothers me to hear this medication referred to as an "abortion pill".

I ended up with a surgical intervention instead. But if I went the medication route, I would not have been taking an "abortion pill". That's hurtful to imply that's the use of this medicine.

Agreed. Calling it an "abortion pill" is a bit of a stretch. Theoretically, any of these drugs are capable of doing the same thing: (from medicinenet.com)

ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors such as:
benazepril (Lotensin)
captopril (Capoten)
enalapril (Vasotec)
fosinopril sodium (Monopril)
lisinopril (Zestril, Prinivil)
lisinopril + hydrochlorothiazide (Zestoretic, Prinzide)
quinapril (Accupril)
ramipril (Altace)
Acne medication isotretinoin (Accutane, Retin-A)
Alcohol -- increases the risk of a stillbirth and the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Androgens (male hormones)
Antibiotics tetracycline (Achromycin), and doxycycline (Vibramycin), metronidazole (Flagyl), and streptomycin
Anticoagulant (blood-thinner) warfarin (Coumadin)
Anticonvulsants (seizure medications) such as:
phenytoin (Dilatin)
valproic acid (Depakene, Valprotate),
trimethadione (Tridione)
paramethadione (Paradione)
carbamazepine (Tegretol)
Anti-depressant drug lithium (Eskalith, Lithob).
Antimetabolite/anticancer drugs methotrexate (Rheumatrex) and aminopterin
Antirheumatic agent and metal-binder (chelator) penicillamine (Ciprimene, Depen)
Antithyroid drugs such as:
thiouracil/propylthiouracil and
carbimazole/methimazole
Cocaine
DES (diethylstilbestrol), a hormone
Thalidomide (Thalomid) which was approved by the FDA for the treatment of a complication of leprosy (erythema nodosum leprosum)

 

[happygirl]

In the article it they called a abortion pill, so that why I called it that

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I agree. I just experienced a miscarriage. It was not progressing very quickly, and this medication was suggested to help things along. I did NOT have an abortion, and it bothers me to hear this medication referred to as an "abortion pill".

.

Medically, you had a spontaneous abortion. As opposed to a medical or surgical abortion. If you check your doctors chart - it is most likely listed that way.

 

[dodukes]

I agree. How horrible for her. I always, always check my prescriptions before I take them. There have been times when I've been sick in bed and my husband brings me my medicine - I have always assumed he checks, too. Think I'll double check that tonight, though.

that is completely terrible for that lady but i agree with above, i always double check my bottle and if it something knew i always go online to check pictures of pills to verify. (unless im completely dying and WANT IT NOW!!, then i just check the bottle and hope for the best,..lol)

 

[dodukes]

I'm curious, because we don't have Safeway in my area... The pharmacies I do go to locally, ranging from the little mom & pop in my town to a large chain where I was picking up medications for my grandmother before her death, all have a sign-out procedure where you sign something bearing the name/address/phone number information linked to the physical package the pharmacist has in hand for check out. So for me, it is hard to imagine how an error like this would happen because I would think most people would notice signing next to the wrong personal information.

Does Safeway not use a similar procedure?

to answer this, i just sign whatver spot they tell me to, theres usualy a sticker they take from my label and put on a chart and everyones signs next to it, i never look at it, i just sign, once i pay for my stuff and BEFORE i take anything, thats when i check...but yeah i guess theorically I should notice if my name is not the one im signing next too....lol

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't think it should matter if she is a smart cookie or the village idiot. Having her accept partial blame is allowing any pharmacy to take a stance that it is the customer's responsibility to make sure that the Pharmacy dispenses correctly. It is 100% the pharmacy's duty to make sure it doesn't kill or harm patients with the medications they dispense.

Pharmacists are 100% responsible for the operation of their pharmacy. Always and as it should be.

Should she have read her prescription? Perhaps. But that doesn't take away any of the blame from the pharmacy.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

I don't think it should matter if she is a smart cookie or the village idiot. Having her accept partial blame is allowing any pharmacy to take a stance that it is the customer's responsibility to make sure that the Pharmacy dispenses correctly. It is 100% the pharmacy's duty to make sure it doesn't kill or harm patients with the medications they dispense.

Pharmacists are 100% responsible for the operation of their pharmacy. Always and as it should be.

Should she have read her prescription? Perhaps. But that doesn't take away any of the blame from the pharmacy.

I completely agree - I'm pretty shocked to see all of this blaming of the victim.

 

[ols386]

Yes, she should have checked the prescription before she took it, but from a legal standpoint, I'm thinking the pharmacy is 100% wrong.

 

[Carnie]

Medically, you had a spontaneous abortion. As opposed to a medical or surgical abortion. If you check your doctors chart - it is most likely listed that way.

Thank you, Dr Chicagodisneyfan. Makes me feel terrific about the situation. I am still bleeding from my "spontaneous abortion". I had an "elective d & c" yesterday to remove my baby that died three weeks ago when I "spontaneously aborted" my child.

In the context of "abortion pill", as used in the highly charged abortion debate of today, it is a medication taken intentionally to terminate a pregnancy. In my case, my child died. The medication I would have taken would have caused my uterus to contract to expel the remains of my failed pregnancy. The medication, in this case, has NOTHING to do with initiating an abortion.

I would not have been taking "abortion medication".

I imagine you are not familiar with the emotional toll having a "spontaneous abortion" has on a family. I am not sure what you hoped to prove by pointing out whatever the technical term on my chart said. In fact, I did not have access to my chart because it contained the sonogram pictures of my lost baby.

It was, quite callous. Fortunately, I have a supportive family that isn't asking me how I am feeling after my "spontaneous abortion". They call it a miscarriage.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

I don't think it should matter if she is a smart cookie or the village idiot. Having her accept partial blame is allowing any pharmacy to take a stance that it is the customer's responsibility to make sure that the Pharmacy dispenses correctly. It is 100% the pharmacy's duty to make sure it doesn't kill or harm patients with the medications they dispense.

Pharmacists are 100% responsible for the operation of their pharmacy. Always and as it should be.

Should she have read her prescription? Perhaps. But that doesn't take away any of the blame from the pharmacy.

OMG I so agree with you!

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

It was, quite callous. Fortunately, I have a supportive family that isn't asking me how I am feeling after my "spontaneous abortion". They call it a miscarriage.

My dad's an MD and even he calls it a miscarriage. There's no need for medical terminology at a time like that, only kindness.

 

[dbogen]

I don't think it should matter if she is a smart cookie or the village idiot. Having her accept partial blame is allowing any pharmacy to take a stance that it is the customer's responsibility to make sure that the Pharmacy dispenses correctly. It is 100% the pharmacy's duty to make sure it doesn't kill or harm patients with the medications they dispense.

Pharmacists are 100% responsible for the operation of their pharmacy. Always and as it should be.

Should she have read her prescription? Perhaps. But that doesn't take away any of the blame from the pharmacy.

I think the issue most of us that think part blame is on the woman, is that the pharmacy filled the perscription correctally. They gave the woman the wrong pill bottle. Everything was correct on the pill bottle, the other womans name and contents correctally listed on the lable.

This poor woman just took a pill out of the bottle without reading the lable. I know that some antibiotics are will food and others are empty stomach. I still think some of the blame is with the woman, I just hope that she isn't pulling some kind of scam to get rich quick after realizing she had the wrong bottle in her hands.

I wish her all the best in her pregnancy and a happy healthy baby.