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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be bothered that pharmacist has dispensed wrong strength medication

26 replies

popgoestheweezel · 22/12/2013 23:04

ds was prescribed antibiotics (flucloxocillin) for an infection in his finger and I picked up the meds from the pharmacy yesterday. I did note that it was the correct stuff, but only today have I realised that it should have been 250mg but we have been given 500mg. Fortunately, I had only given him three tablets but I am a bit bothered as now I'm looking into it, it seems that 250mg four times a day is at the upper end of the recommended dosage for children anyway, but I have now given him double that. I guess it won't have done any lasting damage (and at least I haven't gone on to give him a full week's course) but it is a bit worrying.
I know pharmacists are only human, but ensuring the correct medication is dispensed is the whole point of having a qualified and trained pharmacist on the premises at all times- so errors like this don't happen.

OP posts:
Preciousbane · 22/12/2013 23:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ThePinkOcelot · 22/12/2013 23:08

YANBU. That could have been dangerous.

ouryve · 22/12/2013 23:09

No, they should have got it right.

My pharmacy accidentally gave me 15/500 co-codamol instead of 30/500 and couple of years ago and phoned me within a couple of hours, when they realised their error (I hadn't even opened the bag, yet!)

VivaLeBeaver · 22/12/2013 23:09

Yanbu. Go back and complain.

CommanderShepard · 22/12/2013 23:10

This happened to me when I had mastitis, although in my case I was given too low a dose. I complained.

doasyouwouldbedoneby · 22/12/2013 23:16

Depends on the age of son but unless a baby there wouldn't be any harm done.
Really serious mistake by phamacist tho!!! could have been very serious.

sykadelic15 · 22/12/2013 23:21

Bothered, no. I'd be incensed!

This is VERY dangerous. It was "only" antibiotics this time, what if it was more serious? The tablets here have a description on the bottle "small, yellow, letters X & Y"

I read a story once where a boy who was on regular medication for something (I'm trying to find the article) saved his own life when he refused to take his meds because the picture on them was different. Turns out that instead of child strength meds he'd been given adult and it could have killed him.

FutTheShuckUp · 22/12/2013 23:22

How do you know it should have been 250mg? Was it written in the bottle?

FutTheShuckUp · 22/12/2013 23:23

On, clearly

Original poster
popgoestheweezel · 22/12/2013 23:26

250 mg is on the printed sticker (with ds' name DOB etc) but the packet is 500mg.
He is 7 yo fortunately, so not a baby. But it does say on the instructions in bold 'never give a double dose' which of course, I have unwittingly done.

OP posts:
OOAOML · 22/12/2013 23:26

Can you phone NHS 24/Direct? I wanted to query an antibiotic prescription once for my son as according to the bottle he should be on a lower dose, phoned up and they checked his medical records and the dr had put him on the higher amount which was technically ok for his age (but not according to the leaflet with the medicine).

FortyDoorsToNowhere · 22/12/2013 23:31

I may be wrong, but I always thought that medication is normally checked twice so mistakes like this don't happen.

I would ring nhs direct or similar as you don't know the effect that this can have on the body.

But definitely put in a complaint.

timidviper · 22/12/2013 23:41

It sounds like human error, unfortunately it does occasionally happen. If the GP had prescribed the wrong strength the label would show that.

Most pharmacies now have a small box or two on the label for initials to show who has dispensed and checked it. This enables the pharmacy to check the audit trail and learn from the mistake.

1gglePiggle · 22/12/2013 23:43

Take it back and get it changed. Unfortunately the chain pharmacies are trying to save money by cutting back on staff and putting pharmacists under lots of pressure so I can understand how this has happened (although no excuse). This is probably why it wasn't double checked as the pharmacist was probably on their own, esp if it was the weekend

Blu · 22/12/2013 23:53

Go back to the pharmacy and tell them. They need to do investigations into mistakes and how they happen.

DS was given 7x the dose of a pain modification drug by a pharmacist who confused ml and mg. they took it terribly seriously (as well they might since DS ended up in A&E having an ECG) and actually rebuilt the layout of the dispensing area so the pharmacist was not distracted by customers at the counter.

Kafri · 23/12/2013 08:46

Defo go back and talk to them. If you look on the box it should have 2 signatures on there - it's descended by one person and checked by another supposedly to rule out possible errors like this.

Original poster
popgoestheweezel · 23/12/2013 08:46

I called nhs direct last night. They went through an assessment with me and fortunately, concluded he was ok just suffering from more severe side effects because of the over large dose.
They were very concerned that the wrong dosage had been dispensed and told me to go straight back to the pharmacy this morning so the pharmacy could correct the error and investigate what went wrong.
The nurse told me that it was a very good job I noticed, if I had given it to him all week he would have ended up with very unpleasant side effects (vomiting and diarrhoea, which would have made for a fun Christmas Day) and also might have led to him being unresponsive to antibiotics in the future.
Off to the pharmacy shortly.

OP posts:
FutTheShuckUp · 23/12/2013 09:19

I just asked as sometimes they will double the dose in case of severe infection as stipulated in the BNF. However if he was only prescribed 250mg than they have fucked up and it's disgusting

theladyrainy · 23/12/2013 09:24

That's very scary. I always trust the pharmacist to get it right. Hope your ds feels better soon.

sunshinesue · 23/12/2013 09:36

It needs reporting, have you seen "It's a Wonderful Life"?

Seriously, mistakes like this shouldn't happen. Their checks are obviously insufficient and processes need looking at. Hope your ds recovers soon

Ditsy79 · 23/12/2013 09:56

The mistake really shouldn't have happened, but unfortunately is down to human error. You need to go back to the pharmacy with the medication and explain that you have been given the wrong strength. The pharmacist will probably be mortified, especially as the prescription was for a child. They generally have error reports they have to send to head office about any mistakes, which then get investigated further if need be.

MammaTJ · 23/12/2013 09:56

I always trust the pharmacist to get it right.

I never do and always double check and check who should and should not have a medicine, as well as possible side effects.

When my DS was 3, he had to have eye drops to blur his vision in one eye. He had them fairly regularly on and off for a year. One day we went to get them from the pharmacy and the normal ones were no longer available. So, we rang the doctor and got another lot prescribed. Took that prescription in and collected it. I read the leaflet and it said very clearly 'not to be used by anyone under 6'.

I took it back and had would have had to try for a different one, but DS decided to co-operate with wearing patches for a while.

welshnat · 23/12/2013 10:07

My 5yo DN was once prescribed penicillin, when they looked at the packet at home it was a completely different drug that turned out to be some kind of chemotherapy drug. Needless to say none of my family have ever been to that chemist's again!

VivaLeBeaver · 23/12/2013 10:24

I know someone who was meant to have blood pressure tablets from the pharmacy and they were given a strong antibiotic that's used for STDs instead. Mistakes happen, they shouldn't but always check.

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