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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Pharmacist prescribed wrong dosage

169 replies

thisisthend · 05/01/2019 14:26

Hi, I have epilepsy and my pharmacist gave me 200mg instead of my usual 500mg on my repeat prescription. I have been feeling really ill lately, like I'm going to have a seizure and didn't realise until I looked at my medication that I have been taking less than my normal dosage. Am I being unreasonable to complain? I think I should seek medical attention too.

OP posts:
Original poster
thisisthend · 05/01/2019 14:47

melissasummerfield Not if you don't check to see the dosages are different to the usual. They should have told me to mix the tablets. I have never had to before. People might be elderly or have learning difficulties as well. Pharmacists have had years of training. THEY have the responsibility to ensure the correct dosage.

OP posts:
cushioncovers · 05/01/2019 14:47

The pharmacist should of pointed out that they had dispensed two strengths of tablets to make up your one regular dose. Buttttt you should take some responsibility for what you take everyday. It was simple enough to understand. Your dose is 500 mg and you didn't bother looking at the packet properly. Stop looking to blame the pharmacist and start taking more responsibility for your own medication routine.

TheFairyCaravan · 05/01/2019 14:49

I have epilepsy and my pharmacist gave me 200mg instead of my usual 500mg on my repeat prescription

Well I assume 2 make 200mg. I'm not sure. I usually take my 2 tablets a day to give me 500mg.

None of this makes any sense. If you were taking 2 of your old ones to get 500 they were 250mgs.

InternetRandomer · 05/01/2019 14:50

You should maybe make a complaint to yourself for not reading the label on your essential medication properly Hmm

ScienceIsTruth · 05/01/2019 14:52

To get the same dosage, if you normally take 2 of your 500mg tablets every day, you'd need 1 of the 200mg tablets and 1 of the 300mg tablets.
You'd need to do this twice a day, so 1 of each in the morning and one of each in the evening.

cushioncovers · 05/01/2019 14:52

Pharmacists have had years of training. THEY have the responsibility to ensure the correct dosage.

Yes they do but don't forget they are still human and work under immense pressure. It is still up to you to check your medication when you receive it.

My friend is a pharmacist and works for a major supermarket. It's shocking how short staffed they are and how they are expected to work solo and without breaks at times. It's a stressful job.

pigsDOfly · 05/01/2019 14:53

Well, instead of asking random people of the internet I would be ringing the pharmacy that dispensed them and asking them which tablets I should be taking from which box.

cushioncovers · 05/01/2019 14:53

Internet Grin

BollocksIsNoACompleteSentence · 05/01/2019 14:54

What meds are they (I understand you may not want to say). I take epilepsy meds and quite often get a mix of 50/100/200 tablets dispensed, depending on what they have in stock.

However, the boxes are very clearly marked with the dosage, as are the blister packs (literally written all over where you have to pop them out) as are the tablets themselves. They are also different sizes so it would be obvious you have to "make them up" to the correct amount.

Having said that, I understand it's difficult if you have concentration/memory issues. I make up a dossett (is that the word?) box each week with the correct dosages - I certainly wouldn't rely on my brain working in the morning to get the correct tablets if it wasn't a single dose. It's also hard if you have to split your dose between morning and evening as some of us have to. If you struggle with this, your pharmacist may be able to give you a prefilled dosset box with the doses in for each day/time - mine offer this service. It's worth asking?

cheesywotnots · 05/01/2019 14:55

What is your normal dose, ?500mg twice a day or 500mg once a day. Two 200mg tablets is 400mg which is 100mg short for each dose.

BollocksIsNoACompleteSentence · 05/01/2019 14:56

Look, I know this is AIBU but could posters bear in mind that some people with epilepsy can struggle with memory/concentration/processing issues? It's not always easy to manage things that others take for granted.

OP I forgot to say seek medical advice as you have been underdosing, do you have an epilepsy nurse helpline or similar?

Original poster
thisisthend · 05/01/2019 15:01

InternetRandomer You keep backing the pharmacist. But you won't be saying that if you or someone you loved died from a dispensing error. I shall be making the complaint, for the safety of others, if not myself. Not everyone has mental capacity to check medical accuracy. Yes. I should have checked, but some people cannot. Would you expect someone who was mentally disabled to work out correct dosages? Medical negligence claim here I come. I take Epilim Chrono 500 twice a day. I always assumed that was 500mg a day, but it might be 1000mg if each tablet makes 500mg, which means I am even worse off than I thought.

OP posts:
kaytee87 · 05/01/2019 15:07

The pharmacist should perhaps have made it clearer but it sounds like you've no idea how much you're even meant to be taking anyway?! You need to figure that out pronto and take some responsibility.

DeadZed · 05/01/2019 15:08

I'm not sure why people are having a go at the OP. The pharmacist should have made it clear when the medication was given to the OP that the tablets had changed and she needed to take a different combination in order to maintain her regular dose.
And Bollocks is correct, it is often the case that epilepsy goes hand in hand with memory and processing issues.

Tha pharmacist is at fault here.

OP - You need to go back the pharmacy and ask them to explain the doses to you. Also speak to the manager and tell them what has happened and how it has affected you.

cheesywotnots · 05/01/2019 15:08

If your normal dose is 500mg twice a day then that is a total of 1000mg a day, it cannot be 500mg a day if you're taking it twice. Perhaps you need to go back to your doctor, explain what has happened, you can call 111 for help too. Would you be better having a dossett box in the future, could that make it easier for you to understand what dose you are on and get a printed medication list.

kaytee87 · 05/01/2019 15:08

A quick google of that medication suggests that 1000mg is probably the correct dosage.

Have you seriously never read into the medication you take regularly?

DogInATent · 05/01/2019 15:09

You need to check with your GP what the daily dose in mg is supposed to be before you make any sudden changes.

Yes, there is a potential issue for problems if someone is vulnerable/mentally incapacitated, but is this you? I think it's appropriate to have a word with your GP before making a formal complaint.

I'm also on a daily medication, but the instruction I have from my GP is the daily dose in ug. It involves one tablet of each of two different strengths to achieve the target dose. The wording on the printed label is similar to what you describe, each of the two different boxes says "Take ONE each morning...".

The pharmacist may not remember what you received 8 weeks ago to know there was a difference. The biggest issue is that you don't appear to know what dose you should be on in mg/day and this is an issue to take up with your GP.

kaytee87 · 05/01/2019 15:10

@DeadZed would the pharmacist definitely know what type of tablets the op usually gets though? I'm not sure how it works so genuinely asking. Would the prescription not just read 1000mg per day?

BistoBear · 05/01/2019 15:11

The people who are unable to check their medication would generally have their meds in a dosette box.

The dispensing labels on your tablets give clear and concise instructions on when and how to take them.

I agree with InternetRandomer, you complaint should be with yourself.

grumiosmum · 05/01/2019 15:11

Just pop into the pharmacist and ask them to clarify
what you should be taking.

Or call them up.

cheesywotnots · 05/01/2019 15:12

I imagine the label says something like 1 tablet twice a day, not the total dose due.

InsomniacAnonymous · 05/01/2019 15:12

I don't understand why you would think 2 x 500gm = 500 gm.

diddl · 05/01/2019 15:15

It seems that they didn't dispense incorrectly if you usually take 500mg tablets & they gave you a box of 200mg & a box of 300mg tablets.

However, it would have been very useful to explain this.

Tbh, where medicine is concerned, it's surely better to err on the side of caution & explain in simple terms?

I take a tablet regularly & if the exact brand isn't available then I am asked if I would like them to order it, or take a different brand to the one prescibed.

Lomondstripe · 05/01/2019 15:15

The 500 in the medication name would normally refer to each tablet, therefore if you usually take 2, your daily dose is 1000mg. Is that what you mean? So if they have given you both 200mg tablets and 300mg tablets, you would take one of each, twice a day = 1000mg.

I understand what you are saying about the elderly etc but I’m not sure what relevance that has to whether you have read and checked your own medication - especially if you aren’t sure if your daily dose is 500 or 1000mg, which would be quite a difference? I think you should take it as an opportunity to become a bit more informed on what you are taking everyday, for safety’s sake. None of the above meant with disrespect, but it’s a little scary to imagine an eplileptic chopping and changing dose without a clear idea of what they should be taking.

Plannergirl9 · 05/01/2019 15:16

This happens to me with my medication on a regular basis. However the pharmacist or dispenser who gives me my meds always points this out. If the pharmacist didn't then that's not good.

After you have spoken to your GP or consultant to make sure you are ok, you should contact the pharmacist about the not telling you about the change.

I also always double check what medications I have been given at the pharmacy. It's a bit of a hassle but it ensures that I have want I need there are then.