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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want to deck the pharmacist in Boots who:

50 replies

MadameOvary · 23/04/2011 13:20

...prescribed twice the necessary dose of antibiotics so that I spent most of yesterday throwing up and had to go to an out-of-hours clinic.
The fun didn't end there either, I was given an injection of anti-emetics and off I went, only for the doc to phone me and say that she'd injected me with the wrong drug!
She was very apologetic and came round to administer the right dose.

I suppose I should be angry at her too but I'm not.
But what if this had been a different medicine that could have had harsher side effects?

I just clarifed with Boots - the original prescription definitely stated one tablet twice a day, not two!

OP posts:

thatsenough · 23/04/2011 14:49

LadyWithNoManors - We don't administer - We dispense.

But I do agree that the pharmacist will be very upset, it's that heart stopping, stomach churning sort of fear that you get when you think you've done something wrong.

Birdsgottafly · 23/04/2011 14:51

thatsenough-i am putting it in 'lay mans' terms.

thatsenough · 23/04/2011 14:55

Birdsgottafly 'lay mans' terms would be fine if you were factually correct.

Original poster

MadameOvary · 23/04/2011 14:55

South - I was given 200mg tablets and the label states "Take two twice a day"
I'm not sure why I wasn't mad at the doc - I'd seen her before when she checked DD and had no problems with her. She also apologised profusely and did all she could to rectify the mistake. She also phoned me this morning to check how I was.

There's also the fact that if the pharmacist/whoever hadn't stuffed up, I wouldn't have had to get the shot in the first place.
The anti-emetic shot worked fast but had sedative component which left me feeling off my face and I couldn't sleep for more than a few minutes during which I had vivid dreams then woke feeling disoriented as hell. Did wear off eventually but I still feel shaky today.

OP posts:

deepbreath · 23/04/2011 15:17

Firstly, hope you're feeling a bit better now. It is understandable that you feel cross about this, I know I was fuming when a pharmacist gave my very young dd 10 times the strength of the beta blocker suspension that she was taking - I realised before I gave her any but only because it smelt different, a bit more citrussy than normal. If I'd had a cold, or not spotted their mistake it could have made dd ill.

I complained to the pharmacy - had to go back to the same one as they had the prescription, to get the correct strength. Dd is on different heart medication now, but I still always check it before she takes any.

Birdsgottafly · 23/04/2011 15:25

thatsenough-so you cannot complain online then, if you cannot get back to the shop, or do not know what address to directly complain to the shop?

A pharmacist is not an employee of Boots in the same way that a till girl is. I don't know what your problem is, all i did was explain an easier way to complain. Many members of the public do not know about having to be a member of a registered body (i have to be in the course of my work).

carriedababi · 23/04/2011 15:43

well its human error they are not machines!

you are fine
get a grip

thatsenough · 23/04/2011 15:49

Of course you can complain as myself and several posters have pointed out

to the pharmacist
to the Superintendent (which may be the same as above if the pharmacy is an independent - they have a duty to investigate, ammend proceedures if needed, report back to the patient and report annually to the PCT)
to the PCT (if the complaint is serious enough or not resolved or for things like the pharmacy not being open when it should)
to the GPhC (I would probably not report something like this, but would reserve for different concerns, such as a pharmacist being under the influenece of drugs or alcohol or premises standards, although no real reason why you couldn't discusss any complaint with them.
to the Healthcare Ombudsman.

And finally a Pharmacist may have different responsibilties to a "till girl" but they are empolyed in exactly the same way.

Original poster

MadameOvary · 23/04/2011 19:14

I'll see what the outcome is in a week or two. I was told my complaint would be referred to the Superintendent.
What do you mean "get a grip" Carrie? Should I not complain about this? Would you be so sanguine if it happened to you?
I have no medical training but there must a few medicines that could make you seriously ill if you took double the recommended dose???

OP posts:

heliumballoons · 23/04/2011 19:34

carrie It could have been serious.

MO YANBU. You need to complain to flag up the mistake. If you have a UTI becoming dhydrated due to the effects described ^^ will put extra pressure on your kidneys.

Hope your feeling better soon.

ilovesprouts · 23/04/2011 19:37

carriedababi · 23/04/2011 20:08

i would not make a complaint to head office or the ptc

the pharmacist would have been mortified

and an incident report would have been filled in as a matter of course

its simple human error at the end of the day, things like this will always happen, hopefully not often, but it will always happen.

problem half the time is most people act like pharmacies are mcdonalds or something and dishing out burgers and fries, they are impatient and want everything yesterday, not saying you personally, but alot of people.
they also think pharmacists are till girls and do not give them much respect

i just [personally] think its really nasty to complain about him or her.
when you have already been back tothe pharmacy to rectify the mistake
so they are already aware of the error
i'm not really into this whole complaints culture

i don't think it would happen to me as i read the prescription before taking it to the pharmacy.
so i would check it.

Original poster

MadameOvary · 23/04/2011 20:36

Well I am not into the whole complaints culture either Carrie, my DD had a cut on her cheek due to the scalpel slicing it as they pulled her out of me. Did I complain? Did I fuck. I was just glad she was safe.
This is different though, its not just human error, two people signed that box and neither spotted the mistake.
I'm not feeling vengeful. (not now anyway!) I'm not looking for any names, I just want to flag it so their training and procedures can be reviewed which, given the strength of some of the substances they dispense, should easily cover human error and allow for it.

OP posts:

bluesheep · 23/04/2011 20:59

Hope you are feeling better now MadameOvary.

As a pharmacy technician I just wanted to reiterate that the complaint will be taken very seriously, I know if I were to make this error in my dispensing it would result in a full incident investigation against me, the pharmacist checking my dispensing and (if appropriate) the staff member handing out the prescription. I would then have to undergo retraining, have my dispensing accuracy checked (usually for 500 items) and report my errors to my professional body so it would go on record.

I would be mortified to have caused you such discomfort as a result of my error, as I'm sure the staff are who made the error today.

carriedababi · 23/04/2011 21:07

you've alreay flagged it up though

anyway

i give up, it up to you really an you've done it now anyway

which is your choice
but you must see that mistakes willalways be made, yes people do evertything they can to avoid them but mistakes have always been made an always will be made where humans are involved

sorry just seems nasty to me to pursue it further when you have already raised the issue
but im not you and your not me

Rosa · 25/04/2011 14:46

For me 1 person = human error it happens but 2 people = negligence....

MadamDeathstare · 25/04/2011 14:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

dsdogwhispper · 14/09/2017 14:29

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Maudlinmaud · 14/09/2017 14:34

Hello. Do you realise you have attached a pic?

Ilovecoleslaw · 14/09/2017 14:36

ZOMBIE

Willow2017 · 14/09/2017 14:58

Oh Ffs!

Why would you reanimated a 6year old thread???

Atenco · 14/09/2017 15:01

Carrie, we had a family friend die because of a mistake in dosage made by a nurse. And another friend was misprescribed large doses of steroid by an alcoholic doctor. On one occasion, it was the pharmacist who realised that she had been prescribed a fatal dose. But her bones are now crumbling and she has had hip replacements at a young age and is on constant morphine.

It is a human mistake that can have life-changing consequences.

m4rdybum · 14/09/2017 15:52

well its human error they are not machines!

I do not know why this is a defense.

Fair play if I accidentally order 10 boxes of paper for the office instead of 1... When you are in such a position that you could potentially give someone a lethal dose of medication then there is no room for human error. That is why we have procedures in place.

Yes, no lethal harm was done in this situation, but I bet you would have had a very different reaction if the OP had suffered severe consequences.

m4rdybum · 14/09/2017 15:52

Totally just realised this is a zombie thread.. awks.

catgirl1976 · 14/09/2017 16:05

YANBU

I took 5yo DS to the GP yesterday and she prescribed him antibiotics

I left, went to the chemist and only then looked at the prescription. She had prescribed him 500ml capsules of fluoxicllin 4 times a day.

Even I knew that didn't sound right.

Checked with the pharmacist who agreed this was an adult dose (and he should be given liquid as he was going to struggle to swallow the capsules)

Back to the GP who apologised (via the receptionist) and said she'd clicked the wrong drop down button

I was glad I had checked and queried it - not sure everyone would

So YANBU but it seems to happen quite often. I will be checking what I am given from now on.

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