Yesterday I picked up a prescription that I've been taking for years. It's a diuretic. This pill has always been "teal," and is so labelled on the bottle. Today, I took the bottle out of the bag to see light yellow instead of teal. That didn't concern me, but the markings were also not as indicated. Back to the pharmacy I go. It's the right stuff, but "we use various distributors." Oh, I thought, isn't that interesting. All the other distributors used "teal" except for this one. Again, an interesting fact!
Years ago, I picked up a Coumadin prescription for my husband. Pills were the wrong color. That time, they were double strength. I also called the pharmacy that time. They had me come right back and return to the pharmacist, no one else. This could have been a fatal mistake! (Coumadin is a blood thinner.)
My point is why wouldn't they use the appropriate label for this "distributor?" The answer flabbergasted me..."no one reads that stuff." I beg to differ, I just did!
Always, always read the bottle label as well as all that paper they are required by law to provide to you. It could save your life. And, more importantly, don't be afraid to question the pharmacist.
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4 comments:
I've had several dramatic mistakes with medication that I've personally caught.
One time the pharmacy put the wrong directions on the prescription for one of my children. They basically had me overdosing my child. He was bouncing off the walls under that dosage. When I figured it out and went back, they lied about how the doctor had written the script... but, coincidentally, couldn't "find" the hard copy.
You have to be vigilant. You have to watch everything. They are cutting costs and substituting different manufacturers, different generics. Nothing is a given, anymore. Each pill has a distinct marking. You can Google the identifying marking to find out what it is. If something doesn't look right or seem as you thought you were told or experienced in the past, ask, ask, check and recheck.
Oftentimes, my pharmacy will take the time to give me a heads-up on a new manufacturer.
i don't look at the labels that much as i do look at the pill to see if it is the same, size, color.
I too have had some mistakes and gotten the wrong ones. I picked some up once and they weren't even mine!!!
I always make sure that my name is on the bottle and the name of the medicine. I have had problems in the past with medication and that is when I have always made sure I am getting the right ones and with my name on it.
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