I worked as a pharmacist assistance .They do make mistakes.Alady called in her rx and the pharmacist filled out her phone number instead of her rx number.Sometimes when filling a rx and the phone rings and if they are in the middle of a count they for get the count and you are short changed.This can run into a lot of money when some pills cost a dollar.When bringing in a script they will tell you to wait twenty min.this will mean you will walk around the store and buy things you don't need.Wait look them in the eye and you will see how fast they fill it to get you out of the store so they can go back to doing nothing and talking to their friends on the phone.

There recently was a story on the news about children who received a pill to treat breast cancer instead of the fluoride pills that were supposed to get. I guess it's very important to check that your prescription is correct, although in some cases how would you know it is the wrong pill? I've never had a problem that I now of.

More than once. Shorted pills but charged for the correct amount. Since my plan only lets me fill a scrip every so many days, I would have been stuck without being able to get my meds. Very bad side effects if I stop taking them suddenly!

Two or three times I got the wrong medication in the bottle, but the label was what I was expecting.

The pharmacy I go to know is a bit more expensive and harder to get to, but their track record is MUCH better.

Dances.

Yes. Last year I refilled a prescription for Doxycycline, an antibiotic, and came home with an anti-depressant.

It pays to Google the code imprinted on the pill to make sure you have the right prescription. Scary to think of how many people trust the pharmacy to give them the right medicine. Unfortunately, we can't.

I really like my small individually owned pharmacy. I'm not saying they can't make a mistake, but I've not heard about any. They have caught where a medication I was getting filled was in the same family of the one I'm allergic to... dr error. I can ask about OTC products, and they've always taken the time to show/tell me as much info as I needed to make a decision. I do NOT have that same level of trust for the other chain drugstores in our area. Yes, I pay a little more, but it's worth it to me.

BTW, the pharmacist used to live close to my parents. There were times when he'd not only fill the prescriptions the drs had phoned in for them, but would hand deliver them to their door on his way home.

Shirley

Dr. ordered an antibiotic and I never checked the pill (before I had laptop) I took them 3 times a day until I fainted at work. Long story short, I was in danger of kidney failure. The pill was a diuretic and I have damaged kidneys already. Luckily I recovered. It was a small family owned drug store in our town. I went to the pharmacist and showed him the bottle and the poor guy almost died with fear. He apologized and said what could he do to rectify it. I told him, in order to get insurance, I had to state the condition of my kidneys and the insurance took me on with the caveat that any kidney problems would not be covered. He paid them and I still go to that drugstore. He was so relieved that I was not a litigious person. So check any new rx that you get. Easy to do online.

I used to work at a group home for mentally ill folks, and people's meds were delivered in weekly medisets for them. We had 80 residents, and each week when they came, I had to go through every single person's mediset to check each and every pill in them because there were always so many mistakes that we couldn't trust the pharmacies' work. I found multiple mistakes every time.

Check your prescriptions folks, dont' just assume everything is correct, especially when it comes to your health.

Yes, we have had pharmacists make mistakes quite a few times. Definitely know what your pills look like. There are places to look it up. Count your pills to make sure you aren't short changed....this happens more often than you think, especially if pain killers or tranquilizers are involved. Know when you should take your meds, for example with meals or without. Know the frequency.

My daughter was put on a steroid for a rash and when they filled the RX, made a mistake and doubled the dosage....She took it and started having anxiety attacks, couldn't sleep, couldn't sleep and thought she was going crazy....Finally, going back to her family doctor, she ordered a toxicology (sp)test and discovered the mistake...She said, it was a wonder she hadn't had a heart attack or stroke....It took some time getting this out of her system but eventually the rash went away and she's fine.....But, it was scary for awhile.....

I always check mine, if they look different I look up the code online to find out if it is the same med by a different company, I also call the pharmacy to let them know that I should have been told my meds would look different. They are always supposed to inform you of that.
I check every new med online so I know what it should look like and read up on it. I also use the online medication conflict function on some sites to see if they show any of the ones I take conflict with each other.
Having worked in the medical industry I am very cautious and pro active in my health.
And yes I have caught errors on the pharmacy end as well as the doctors end.
I take extended release med for my diabetes and have more than once been given the regular form, I now check it before leaving the pharmacy.

Recently it was time for a refill, and I had changed doctors, so I went to the pharmacy in person, rather than using the phone, just to be sure there would be no mistakes.

I had my DD pick up the Rx for me, as she does occasionally, to save me a trip. When she brought it to me I saw that the charge was $6 and I knew it should have been $15. Also, the doctor's name had not been changed. I still had pills from the last Rx, so it was not a big deal at that time. The next time I was out I went to the pharmacy, again not wanting to risk an error over the phone.

They apologized, renewed the info on the computer, and refilled the Rx at the regular price. I offered to pay the difference on the other one, which I still had, and they wouldn't let me. From something that was said I picked up on the fact that it was a new girl who made the error.

I always look at the pills when I get a new bottle and one time I noticed the pill was larger, so I asked about it and they said it was the same med, but made by a new company. The number on the pill was the same. The pharmacist thanked me for checking it out.

Mistakes can be made, but we do need to be vigilant.

I wonder, though, how long would a doctor refill a Rx, when they haven't seen the patient for a while? In my case it was a year and a half, when I had been going every 4 months.

Sue

I was using a compounding pharmacy (one that can make up capsules however your doctor orders them) and was at least once shorted on my pills & once came home with an completely empty bottle! The medicine I was taking would sometimes come in the small capsule and sometimes a large capsule even though it was supposed to be the same strength... I didn't always feel as if I was getting the right dosage. I quit using that pharmacy, no longer use the compounded medication and now use Walmart's pharmacy with no problems at all.

The labels on our bottles of medications describe the pill in detail.

I usually pick up prescriptions at the drive-thru window but always (ALWAYS) pull over to the side and check the contents before driving away. I've never had a problem of any kind at CVS.

My husband takes lotsw of meds for his MS (coupled with depression. One of the pills he takes is Paxil, an anti-depressant. He gets no refills with each bottle. So I have to phone his doctor every month. Most recently, I phoned for a refill of his 30 day supply. Went in on Friday to pick it up, there were only 3 pills. That can't be right. Pharmacist said it was filled as the doctor ordered. The three pills were enough for the weekend-Friday, Saturday,Sunday. Monday morning I phoned the doxtor's office again, and this time I got 30 pills for him. Still not sure if the doctor or pharmacist screwed up. But it was very annoying.

No - no screw ups. If they erred more than once I would change pharmacies.

I go to a CVS pharmacy which is about 3 blocks from my house, and I have to say, they are without doubt the most careful ppl I have ever dealt with in my life.

There are five ppl working in the pharmacy at all times, and 3 of those 5 ppl are licensed pharmacists and the other 2 are licensed pharmacy techs.

When you go in to the pharmacy area in the store you go to a window where you hand your prescription in. The pharmacy tech takes your prescription and then asks to see your I.D.. Even though they know you by name, they still require you to present an I.D. card, which she checks against the name on the prescription. When it matches she logs the prescription in, then puts it in a little drawer that slides through the glass panel into the actual pharmacy area. Inside that glassed in area there are two pharmacists who fill the prescriptions then they go to the other end and pass them out to the desk where you pick them up. The person at that desk then takes all the bottles or packages out of the bag and checks them one by one against what was originally logged in. If there is even the slightest doubt about the count, that pharmacist will count the pills again to make sure you have the correct amount. In addition, there is a label on each container that gives the full description and the drugs letter or number markings so they can be positively identified. When he/she is certain that all is correct the bag is stapled shut and placed on a holding rack till you come to pick it up.

When you go to the counter to pick up your meds you are once again required to show your I.D. which they verify against the presciption, then they open the bag and confirm that you are getting the correct number of containers before they will ring up the sale.

If someone comes to the counter and needs to talk to a pharmacist, the one who verifys the bags will come to the counter. According to the girl on the counter the pharmacists in the booth have a phone, but it will only make outgoing calls so they can call a doctor to verify a prescription. All incoming calls are handled by the pharmacy techs or the pharmacist outside the booth who verifies the counts, but under no circumstances are the pharmacists behind the glass filling the prescriptions to be disturbed.

About two months ago I had to undergo a minor surgery and when I turned in a prescription from the surgeons for some meds to prep for the surgery the pharmacist checked the computer and told me that the drug specified was contra-indicated with one of my COPD drugs, so they had to call the surgeon and explain the situation before they would fill the prescription. It turned out the surgeon was not aware of the other drug, but he changed my prescription to another drug that was okay.

To my complete surprise, about three months ago the pharmacy called and said their records indicated that I only had 8 more days on an inhaler that I have to use twice a day. They asked me if I had an apointment to see my doctor to get refill and I said no. The pharmacist then asked, would you like me to call your doctor and schedule you an appointment? Sure, I said, and a half hour later my doctors office called to tell me they could get me in the next day.

Jan uses the same pharmacy and one day when I was there I asked them if she could pick up prescriptions for me? The girl said sure, but you will have to sign a consent form and I will put a note on the computer that you have authorized her to do so, otherwise no one but you can pick them up.

Jannie did you have to pay for the 3 pills?

I had a prescription run out once and it had to have doctor's authorization to be refilled. The pharmacist explained that by law she was not allowed to sell me the pills but she was allowed to give me 3 pills to hold me over until the authorization came through. I thought they would give me 3 less pills in the regular bottle when I got it but it had the full 30 pills it always has.

Yes. I count them now. The first time it happened I realized it when I was putting some into a smaller bottle for a trip (fortunately, some times the pills are put in to different size bottles) and the remaining number just didn't look right. The next time the pills - large ones - were put into a small bottle - there were supposed to be 100 pills, the max that could fit into the small bottle would be 50. I called the pharmacist right away (the owner was away and apparently he got a lot of calls the next week). If the pharmacist on duty had not found the error at her end, I would have had to call my doctor and the Canadian pharmaceutical board - no way could I have asked for a refill before I had used the 100 at 1 pill a day. And since I hardly take any meds since I am allergic to just about everything, the errors %age wise were high. Then we have the issue of Generic Pills vs. Name Brand. I am allergic to 5 of the non-medicinal ingredients in the Generic Brand of my pills - this is a common problem with many people. The time it happened I would have known had I not been picking up a prescription for my husband and a few other things - by the price difference. This despite the huge note on the screen "No Generics". I noticed in time because they were for 250 mg rather than 500 mg - the prescription was for 500 mg with no repeat - but the 250 Generic came with a repeat - and the colour was slightly pink. Then there was the case of my husband's eye drops - they absolutely have to be kept in the fridge at the pharmacy until taken home and opened - and in our fridge if he is not quite out. I always take a cooler bag with ice in it. The prescription was ready on a Sat. I picked it up the following Tues. and it was in the cupboard. The 16 year old cashier at the pharmacy counter told me she was sure they would be fine. Since every time I pick them up I am told they have to be kept in the fridge until being opened, I asked her where she got her degree and refused to take them. Fortunately, my husband was not out of the drops and I contacted the pharmacist the next morning. I hate standing there checking pills but a lot of people are doing it now. You can move your prescriptions - but the problem does persist. And sometimes life threatening errors are made. We can only get a 3 month supply of any prescription - unless it is a monthly one such as my husband's eye drops - has 12 repeats - but the fee is the same for one month or 3. I remember when you could get a 12 pack.

My partner and I go to CVS Pharmacy. One way or another they have messed up our prescription, with mine and my my hubbies. I have heart problems and he has breathing problems. Most of the time it seems to be with the amount of the prescription. On a 90 day prescription they were automatically refilling it every 30 days until we brought it to their attention. On a 90 pill prescription they were giving me 60 pills every month until I reread the label and noticed it said 60 pills but the label said 1 tablet every 8 hours. When I brought it to their attention they said, "That's the prescription that was sent in" I told them the prescription reads 1 pill 3x,s a day. Then I said 3 x,s 30 days is 90! I blame part of it on myself because I should've payed closer attention. The fact is we trust them to do the right thing, but they DON'T. I have to wonder if they were WHATthe insurance more than they CVS. Then my daught calls an said she heard on the news that CVS gave a mother the wrong medicine for her daughter and the daughter was permanently damaged by it. WHAT NEXT CVS?????????

CVS messes up on a regular basis. Double check everything. Even that does not help sometimes...my label was consistent with the prescription, but the pills were wrong dosage, and the only way I found out was when I was asking about when to take etc and the pharmacist realized the color was different, apparently this particular dosage was associated with another color...

Had prescriptions at a Walgreens....went on vacation and asked to temporarily have it filled in San Diego....came home, went to get my pills, told they were filled in San Diego...okay, told them I was back home, they said okay....second time I go in, was told again that it was filled already in San Diego....again told them to fix the problem, I'm back home, need it filled here, they said okay...third time I go to get my pills, guess what, it's been done, in San Diego again....that was the end of going to Walgreens, I use Safeway pharmacy now.....

The same man has filled the prescription for anything I've taken all my adult life - he knows more about me than my doctors. Small privately owned drugstore (and they deliver, free, although haven't used that service, haven't needed to).

My drug plan right now is Humana and they called last week asking me if I wouldn't like to change to mail order. I told them No, for the very few dollars a year that would save, I'd rather support local business, I'm taking nothing expensive.

He's due to retire and is transitioning to part time now, but I've met the pharmacist buying the store and think I'll be fine with him too.

With our insurance, any medications that are considered "maintenance medication" (i.e., medications taken on an ongoing basis) should be dispensed as a 90-day supply. Any short-term meds (e.g., an antibiotic or an analgesic) should be dispensed as no more than a 31-day supply.

I take two blood pressure meds each day. They are manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies. One comes in sealed bottles of 90 pills. The pharmacy doesn't have to count out the correct number of pills -- they simply take a bottle off their shelf and stick it in the bag. The other medication, however, does have to be counted out. One time after getting home with my little pharmacy bag, I took the bottles out of the bag (which had been stapled shut by the pharmacy) and immediately thought that the number of pills (that had to be counted) in the pill bottle didn't "look right." I poured the pills out into my left hand, then counted them as I returned them to the pill bottle. There were 56 pills when there should have been 90. I called the pharmacy right away and the woman with whom I spoke didn't hesitate for one second. She simply apologized and said that the missing pills would be waiting for me when either I or my husband returned to the pharmacy. Since then, I have always counted the number of pills in every pill bottle (except the pre-sealed bottles). I can understand miscounting and "shorting" by two, maybe three pills, but 34 pills is crazy. And, yes, there have been two occasions since then where the number of pills has been short (but not by more than 10).

There was another time when my dermatologist had prescribed two creams for me to use on a rash/irritation on my hands. I was to apply one of the creams first, then apply the other cream after the first one had been rubbed in. This was to be done several times each day. I had to go back to the dermatologist a couple of weeks later to have a mole removed, and the doctor checked my hands. The rash/irritation was better but not gone. The doctor asked me to show him how much of the cream I was applying each time and when I took the tubes of cream out of my purse the doctor took one quick look at them and proclaimed that it was no wonder the rash/irritation hadn't cleared completely, because although one of the tubes of cream was correct, the pharmacy had dispensed the wrong cream for the second one!

Doctors' offices, for many years now, have electronically transmitted prescriptions to pharmacies, which should alleviate any problems with doctors' illegible handwriting. But it doesn't do anything to alleviate stupid mistakes on the pharmacy end. And for that reason, whenever any of our doctors send in a prescription for me or for my husband, we make sure we know the exact name and dosage of the medication(s) being prescribed.