My pharmacy gave me the wrong medicine

Medicine - My doctor prescribed me the wrong medicine
United States
May 30, 2007 3:10pm CST
Back in April, my doctor put me on medicine to help me with my PCOS ( polycystic ovarian syndrome). I took it for a month. Friday I called to refill my medicine. Yesterday I picked them all up. Today I went to take my medicine and noticed a big change in the pill. Went to look at the bottles and they were complete different meds. I called the pharmacist and they said they did goof and gave me the wrong meds. So why didn't they call me and tell me this? WRONG MEDS?? You got to be kidding me. For 1 month I was taking the wrong meds. Geesh.. I was just mad and was gonna refuse to go back to that pharmacy ( RITE AID) but my hubby says BULL!! WE are going to fight this. They messed up and gave me the wrong medicine and didn't bother to tell me until I called them to find out. For 1 full month I was taking the wrong med and I could of gotten really sick or died from it. What are your thoughts? Think I have a case???Anything like this happen to someone?
5 people like this
21 responses
@crazynurse (7482)
• United States
30 May 07
Oh my!! I'm thinking of lots of terrible things that could have happened. (1) You could have had an allergic reaction to the wrong med, as it was different than what was prescribed. (your physician prescribes based on your allergies and illness) (2) The wrong medicine could have intereacted with other medicines that you are taking. (again, the physician prescribed a certain med based on your history and what you are already taking and your allergies) (3) The wrong medicine probably did not effectively treat your polycystic ovarian syndrome as well as what was prescribed. (4)The wrong medicine might have actually caused harm to you in some way, as the side effects of it were not considered by your physician since he/she didn't prescribe it! Geeze. I know that humans make errors. But pharmacists, like doctors and nurses have to be soooooo very careful. Our little slip ups can have devastating mistakes. We are supposed to double and triple check!!!
3 people like this
@ozangel82 (753)
• Australia
31 May 07
i think it is VERY negligent of them.they could have caused you to become very ill or worse, die! i think you should definately go seek help to see what can be done about it. I mean you are fine this time, but what about the little old lady who goes in tomorrow and needs her blood pressure medication and gets given something that could kill her?
2 people like this
• United States
31 May 07
You are right and I am going to try my best to win this case. I just love your avatar. Too freaking cute!!! Thanks for responding.
• United States
31 May 07
I used to work for Rite Aid. This does not surprise me. He probably did not know that he gave you the wrong meds until you brought it up and he looked in the computer. You should fight this. There is too much of this going on and not enough people doing something about it. Remember, this is your life. You are important!
2 people like this
• United States
31 May 07
Thank you very much for the support. I am hoping to hear from the doctor soon about this as well. I will fight it. Lets just hope there is something on my end that is fightable.
@tmlnmr (1850)
• Canada
31 May 07
That is just awful! I would definitely go after them. I won't go over the list of what could have happened cause it has been covered pretty much. LOL I would like to say though that I had a similar experience with my pharmacy, instead of the wrong meds it was the wrong amount. Not as bad as the wrong meds but I still had to deive an hour(one way) back to the pharmacy to get the rest. They had charged me for the full amount and they had on the bottle that I got the proper amount. They do make mistakes and mine was excusable, yours on the other hand was not. Nail them to a wall!
2 people like this
• United States
31 May 07
Thanks. I appreciate it. WRong amount . That is scary too. Geesh, they need to wake up and double check these things.
@terri0824 (4991)
• United States
30 May 07
Sorry to hear that you got the wrong medicine, and worse yet, they didn't bother to notify you. I can't say that I have ever had that problem. But it does sound like you have a case. Just glad it didn't make you sick or kill you.
2 people like this
• United States
30 May 07
Yeah, it sucks. Well it didn't make me sick that I know of . I guess I should go to the doctor and make sure everything is ok. I did have a lot of anxiety and have it even worse now.
1 person likes this
@jolenegreen (1209)
• United States
31 May 07
From my understanding...you could get them in heaps of trouble~ They are definatley SUPPOSE to check up on theese things and SHOULD have caught it before you.
• United States
31 May 07
Thanks. I am hoping something comes of this so this store doesn't do it again!
1 person likes this
@djbtol (5493)
• United States
31 May 07
They should certainly reimburse you for the wrong medicine. You should talk to the doctor and make sure that use of the wrong medicine has not been harmful to you. There are plenty of lawyers that would want to make a big law suit out of it. I don't recommend that. Fortunately the outcome of their mistake was not worse than it was. Think clearly, don't let anger drive you. Have a wonderful day.
• Thailand
13 Jul 08
That's a bad event. The pharmacist wasn't careful enough when working.
@sjohnson628 (3197)
• United States
21 Jun 07
I think you do have a case here. That is just so wrong! I can't believe it happened to you! I would go find myself a good lawyer and sue that Rite Aid Pharmacist. I see you posted this discussion a month ago I hope you have come to a resolutin by now.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
30 May 07
That's horrible! I would sue if I were you--would that be under malpractice though?--I know that would be the type of lawsuit for a doctor but I'm not sure about a pharmacist...Did the pharmacist at least tell you just WHAT you were taking for a whole month---Count your lucky stars that you didn't have any seemingly interactions I have to admit though this is the first time I've heard of a pharmacist goofing and screwing up though---usually it's the doctor...I had an incident myself...I had bronchitis and the doc prescribed an antibiotic and an asthma type med---I went to the pharmacist gave him the prescriptions --he took one look and turned pale white! He told me if I had taken this combination it would have been lethal!!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
31 May 07
No I didn't take any action...as thankfully it wasn't like I had actually taken that combo of the meds....uh, wouldn't be here then! So thank goodness in my case the pharmacist caught the "error"--My great-grandmother was a nurse, and as a nurse she saw many of the mistakes docs can make...she had no regard for docs, and was more into natural and herbal healing cures...and she must have known something as she lived to be 98--her opinion of docs by the way was that they were all a**holes!
2 people like this
• United States
30 May 07
I'm waiting on a call back from the lawyer we left a message for. Yeah, this is all too freaky for me and I feel like I am dreaming. Never in a million years did I think it would happen to me!!! I'm so thankful that you didn't take that combination either otherwise I wouldn't be getting to know you. :( Did you do anything about that situation? I would think that would be cause for something. hmmmm. Makes me wonder about these doctors and pharmacist anymore.!!!
1 person likes this
@accents (87)
• United States
30 May 07
Which set of meds was wrong? The first or the second? That is a very serious mistake they made, and you should look into how they're going to rectify it especially if it's the one you already took! Did they know what they gave you or give you any information on it?
1 person likes this
• United States
30 May 07
Accents, the medicine that the doctor put me on in late april for my pcos.. Well the pharmacy gave me the wrong medicine for it. Yes, Dave is on a warpath right now and wants to make sure this doesn't happen again. It's scary! They told me they knew as of Friday that they gave me the wrong medicine and was waiting for me to come in Monday to get my refill to tell me. Um hello?? I was finishing the meds over the weekend. Why didn't they call me to tell me this??? They should have contacted me, not me contacting them. I didn't get in until yesterday to get the medicine.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 May 07
So they didn't even catch it before you called in the refill, how terrible! And they said they were planning to tell you when you picked up the refill, but still didn't until you got home and noticed a difference and called them! Definitely write down everything they say. If nothing else, you could always notify your local news, but that might be pushing it a bit. They better do something to make up for that, though. Not good.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 May 07
Apparently they didnt catch it or if they did, they didnt bother to call me. Another thing that has me upset is that they told me that they called the doctor to explain this and not even the doctor has called me to find out if I was ok.. Geesh. No love here I guess. LOL
1 person likes this
• United States
31 May 07
I would be pissed! Go to your doctor and find out about the medicine they gave you...any side effects? long term effects? I believe that you should fight it. It isn't like they goofed by giving you the wrong amount of change back, they were messing with your life! Fight it!
• United States
1 Jun 07
Thanks. I am working on that now :)
@hkgirl (51)
• Canada
27 Dec 07
How come it took you a month to notice the pills were different?
• United States
14 Dec 08
i would like to know what happened with your case. im having about the same problem, just not as bad. i've had a couple back surgeries and have to get injections into my spine. so the doctor gives me medicine for the pain. its supposed to be a quick release to help with the pain right now. because the injections feel like having another surgery. well my pharmacy (rite aid) that i always go to. told me they dont carry that kind, and sent me to the other rite aid in the next town. where they said they did have it. i have had these injections three times, and this past time they told me they didn't carry that kind. i told them i have had it filled there two times before. so after looking on the computer she called the head pharmacist over and while i was still standing there he told the lady they messed up and not to say anything. they had been giving me an extended release version. never told me i had been getting the wrong meds. well after taking the right pills, i found out it didn't have to feel like i had another surgery. after taking the correct pills, i've found they help like they are supposed to! so you see, its not as bad as yours. but i didn't have to just deal with all of that pain. so did anything come of your case?
@addysmum (1225)
• Canada
31 May 07
Its a good thing you looked at the bottles. I agree with your husband and would be fighting it also. They could have killed you. The other thing to watch for is a reaction to the right meds and the other meds that will still be in your system. It takes a little while for meds to work through the body so there is going to be wrong medication in your system for at least a few days.
@Deane_2005 (1644)
• Philippines
31 May 07
I think you have a strong case. You must fight out for your rights. They have done some illegal malpractised and they could be penalized because of that. I think you should really file a cased since you have been taken the wrong medicine for months and it could harmed your health for now.
• United States
31 May 07
i also have PCOS...pretty badly, in fact. DO you knwo what pills they put you on? Oddly, the best thing for PCOS is birth control. It gives you the hormones you need and regulatres your cycles. That aside, your pharmacy definitely should have called you. There is no excuse for them NOT alling to tell you that you had the wrong pill. i woud wondr if you had the right pill even NOW! If it makes you feel any better, i DO believe if they gave you anythign life-threatening they would have called you. It was probably just another form of the same TYPE of pill you were supposed be be taking.
• United States
31 May 07
Oooh that's a lawsuit! I am so serious--My mother used to be a paralegal for an attorney and she dealt with cases like this. I hope that the wrong meds don't make you too sick. Get better soon. Johnna www.blogcharm.com/Colorsofink
• Philippines
31 May 07
wrong meds?? oh man, that could've worsen your health.. if i was in your place i would probly do the same thing... that's juz terrible..
@sexycoley (497)
• Singapore
31 May 07
Hey, I Have This Same Exp ! 1998, I am Travel to someway. Because I worry that I will Coming period when I am diving Or snorkerling, So I go to Phamacy Buy some medcine for stop the period in 2 weeks, I try to use medcine to delay the period date.... Do you know what the doctor give medcine? The Medcine Is for the Heavy Period ! Finally.....My Period come when I am diving, lucky no shark there.... & After the period, I have stop period few months ! Ladies & Gentlemen, Please becareful when you buy medcine from phamacy ! However they are license phamacist !