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Prescription Errors - 11/4/2009 12:16:25 AM
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JustaFan
Posts: 371
Joined: 4/24/2006
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I was just reading about the high numbers of prescription errors, and how those errors can be fatal. This made me wonder how common this is. Have any of you ever had a prescription error, either the doctor writing the wrong thing, or the pharmacy making a mistake?
My family had two incidents.
My mother took two prescriptions to be filled. When she got them home she noticed that the pills in each bottle looked the same. She examined them with a magnifying glass, and they had the same numbers on the pills. Yes, the pharmacist had put blood pressure pills in both bottles. Imagine if she had not noticed!
I had a weird one with my cardiologist. At my appt. he told me he was going to increase my blood pressure med. When I checked out at the front desk the nurse suppsedly put my prescription, my work note, etc. into an envelope and gave it to me. When I got to work, I went to get my work excuse out, and discovered that she had put half my paperwork in there and half of another patient's paperwork in. I had somebody else's lab order, but not my prescription. I called. The office person said they would call in my prescription. When I picked it up I realized that the dose was the same. I called again. A different woman said, yes, the first woman made a mistake. My file said to increase it, but the doctor had not written what he had increased it to on my chart. She would ask him and call me back. She did. The doctor said my insurance wouldn't pay to have the prescription filled again, so I was just to take that dose for that month and call to remind them to call in the proper prescription for the next month. I did that. This time I saw that the dose was DECREASED! I called again. Now the office staff acted like I was being a pain. She claimed she had asked the doctor three times to make sure it was right. I demanded that she check again. I was right. The doctor intended to increase my dose from 300 mg to 400 mg, but since there isn't a 400 mg pill, he wanted me to take TWO 200 mg pills. However, the nurse had called it in as one 200 mg pill, and the quantity was only enough to take one not two. From that point on, I made sure that doctor always wrote my prescription and handed it to me--no office staff in the mix.
Now two of my doctors have changed to sending their prescriptions to the pharmacy electronically. I try to make sure I know exactly what they are presribing and what the instructions are so that I know I'm getting the right thing.
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Judith
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RE: Prescription Errors - 11/4/2009 10:02:32 AM
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agapetos
Posts: 9743
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: This side of the lil duck pond!
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quote:
Have any of you ever had a prescription error, either the doctor writing the wrong thing, or the pharmacy making a mistake? A doctor (not my gp) prescribed a med that was contra-indicated with other meds that I was taking. He claimed it was ok for me to take but my doctor and consultant agreed that I shouldn't have been prescribed them.
The only other problem has been when the pharmacy has forgotten I need ordinary lids instead of childproof lids on my bottles but that doesn't happen very often and it's generally because we've been chatting while she's filled the prescription.
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Maggie
September 09
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RE: Prescription Errors - 11/4/2009 10:32:09 AM
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JustaFan
Posts: 371
Joined: 4/24/2006
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quote:
A doctor (not my gp) prescribed a med that was contra-indicated with other meds that I was taking. He claimed it was ok for me to take but my doctor and consultant agreed that I shouldn't have been prescribed them.
It's good that you checked. Some specialists seem to only concern themselves with their own area, forgetting about your overall health. My otolaryngologist wanted me to take a med that would raise my BP. Meanwhile, the cardiologist wanted me to take a pill that gave me a cough, which aggravated my ear. Doctor Wars!
Oh, and then my dentist got in on the debate, saying the med my ear doc gave me to help the congestion in my ear was drying out my mouth too much, which can lead to tooth decay. I decided hearing was more important than teeth.
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Judith
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RE: Prescription Errors - 11/4/2009 1:36:57 PM
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agapetos
Posts: 9743
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: This side of the lil duck pond!
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quote:
A week later there was an article in the papers that the country where I am planning to go next month had the missionaries beat and teeth ripped out... because 1. they were Christians, 2. the fillings were gold. I'd have been inclinded to take that article in and show it to them.
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Stovie, Stovie, what am I going to do with you!
Maggie
September 09
My blog
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RE: Prescription Errors - 11/6/2009 3:08:55 PM
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tacitus
Posts: 1301
Joined: 5/12/2005
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It's utterly bizarre that she would refuse point blank to give you the crown you want. I mean it's one thing to give a recommendation, but it's another to turn down business worth hundreds of dollar for a procedure that is perfectly safe and acceptable alternative to what's she's suggesting. I have porcelain several crowns, some over 10 years old, and not once did my dentist ever suggest anything else. One of the crowns did break a little around the top edge, but it's still perfectly serviceable and my dentist hasn't even mentioned it during my routine checkups.
Sounds like you need an new dentist, period.
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RE: Prescription Errors - 11/12/2009 3:13:16 PM
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Retro80s
Posts: 277
Joined: 3/10/2006
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I once had a prescription refilled for some medication for migraines. Before I took the pill I noticed than the pill looked a little different that the prior refill. I just thought at first that maybe the manufacturer just changed the way it looked, but I decided to recheck the insert that came with it. If I remember correctly, the name on the bottle was correct but the name on the paperwork was for an antibiotic. From what I could tell by the name, I think it was penicillin based. I took it back to the pharmacy to ask about it. The first thing the pharmacist did was ask me if I had taken any to which I said no. I had been given a penicillin based antibiotic which name was similar to the medication I was supposed to have been given. Fortunately I did not take any, as I am allergic to penicillin. The pharmacy gave me the refill for free.
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RE: Prescription Errors - 11/12/2009 7:37:55 PM
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Krislynx
Posts: 657
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We have not had any errors but we double check every prescription. We will look them up on the internet (reputable sites) that provide pics and/or descriptions as well as generic names. And I won't leave any doc's office without knowing exactly what the prescription is for and how it is to be dosed. Goes for me and my kid. Starting next year I'll have 2 and if they both get a prescription in the same visit I'll most likely write them down.
Kris
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RE: Prescription Errors - 11/12/2009 11:46:13 PM
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JustaFan
Posts: 371
Joined: 4/24/2006
Status: online
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Retro80s
I once had a prescription refilled for some medication for migraines. Before I took the pill I noticed than the pill looked a little different that the prior refill. I just thought at first that maybe the manufacturer just changed the way it looked, but I decided to recheck the insert that came with it. If I remember correctly, the name on the bottle was correct but the name on the paperwork was for an antibiotic. From what I could tell by the name, I think it was penicillin based. I took it back to the pharmacy to ask about it. The first thing the pharmacist did was ask me if I had taken any to which I said no. I had been given a penicillin based antibiotic which name was similar to the medication I was supposed to have been given. Fortunately I did not take any, as I am allergic to penicillin. The pharmacy gave me the refill for free.
Wow! Your alertness and instincts really saved you. I probably would have just assumed they had bought a generic from a different manufacturer.
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Judith
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RE: Prescription Errors - 11/12/2009 11:47:31 PM
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JustaFan
Posts: 371
Joined: 4/24/2006
Status: online
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Krislynx
We have not had any errors but we double check every prescription. We will look them up on the internet (reputable sites) that provide pics and/or descriptions as well as generic names. And I won't leave any doc's office without knowing exactly what the prescription is for and how it is to be dosed. Goes for me and my kid. Starting next year I'll have 2 and if they both get a prescription in the same visit I'll most likely write them down.
Kris
Would you share those websites with us? Do they have pictures of generic versions of pills?
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Judith
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Now I have to find an other dentist who is willing to put in porcelain.