To Be Fuming With This Pharmacy!

[NemoIsLost]

I get my prescription sent electronically from my GP to Tesco pharmacy.
Almost every time there is a problem, either it's not ready when they say or theres only 1 box instead of 2 but today they surpassed themselves!
I went to collect it and after alot of faffing they said I had already collected it!
Well I havnt, they showed me the form signed for by me under 'exempt for contraception.
A. It's not a contraception!
B. It's not my signature!
The pharmacist got involved and said he doesn't know what's wrong and will investigate, but I still.have no tablets.
I need these tablets to live seizure free.
I'm so angry with them. The pharmacist is trying to get me a box by tonight. I told him I would be interested to know what's happened as someone has forged my signature and more worryingly someone may have the wrong medication!
Surely this is a serious incident for them?!

[britnay]

OP: You can get your prescription dispensed at ANY pharmacy that YOU choose, its not up to your GP.

[PurpleWithRed]

Complain to the Care Quality Commission and to your local Healthwatch - both easy to find on Google.

[nonevernotever]

Wow. Just commenting that I went to pick up dh's repeat prescription yesterday and was told that I had collected it on 15/8. Hmm no. On 15th when I asked I was told first that they hadn't dispensed anything for dh since 2017(true, but we'd just lodged his repeat prescription with them so that they can reorder from surgery on his behalf) second that they couldn't have accepted the prescription because xx surgery won't work with them (very probably true a d I can now see why, but we're both with yy surgery) and then third nothing has come back yet and that they would chase. I need to go back tomorrow to try and resolve this. I hadn't thought about asking to see signature - that's a good call. Disclaimer very much doubt husbands tablets have any street value but I was also left feeling that they suspected me of trying to obtain drugs fraudulently

[EnlightenedOwl]

Another one check your online ordering you haven't been signed up by a pharmacy yes one outfit signed me on as my nominated pharmacist.....without my consent. Believe me I have come across it all

[NemoIsLost]

snowangel is right, you can only order every 28 days.

Whoever asked, the first man I spoke to said the script was signed for yesterday and then a different lady said it was signed for today!

[tillytoodles1]

I changed pharmacies (not Tesco} after they continually messed me about. I use Morrisons and they're brilliant.

[Joerev]

Is it a benzodiazepine?

If so. This is probably why someone forged your signature. This has massive consequences for the pharmacy

[NemoIsLost]

Lulualla when I said it wasn't my signature (they had just signed 2 initials not a whole name) and I said the medication wasn't even a contraceptive the woman just looked at me and disappeared behind the counter again

[Nicketynac]

UK pharmacies and pharmacists are regulated by the GPHC. You don't need anybody's name to report an incident to them or to Tesco - that will form part of their investigation.

[ARJZ]

Is the medication sodium valproate by any chance? There might be an explanation for the exempt for contraception if so. Doesn't excuse the mistakes but there may be something else you need to raise with the pharmacy

[Dungeondragon15]

I think that the person who has been given the wrong medication should make the complaint rather than you as you haven't actually come to any harm or been put in danger because of the error. They certainly need to find out what has happened though and I am sure that they will be doing that. They were probably panicking when they realised. What makes you think they are taking it seriously? Have you been in contact with your GP to check that they have sent the prescription?

[GreatOne]

I'd also be worried about getting an nhs prescription fine!! Someone mistakenly signing for free meds (contraception), if yours is normally paid, could have wound up giving you a fine. So I'd check with pharmacist that they'll be correcting the error amd ask for a receipt. Ir take a copy of the error photographed on your phone if you can

[Dungeondragon15]

I'd also be worried about getting an nhs prescription fine!!

Well yes. Thinking about it, there is no evidence that OP didn't pick up the medicine and sign fraudulently to say she is exempt.

[Unicorndiva]

We stopped using Tesco pharmacy for similar reasons. My husband had been giving medication for another gentleman all these medications were for a heart condition.

My controlled drug (trampoline,
Morphine, oxynorm) has been giving to someone else.

My daughters milk was contaminated and several tins had been opened, and to top it off they screwed my antibiotics up and gave me penicillin which hadn’t been prescribed and I am highly allergic to luckily my hubby read the packet and didn’t just give me one.

Safe to say we don’t use Tesco anymore, we out a formal complaint in as it was always when the same dispenser was on that problems happened; he’s doesn’t work there any more

[NemoIsLost]

GreatOne I.don't pay for my prescriptions as epilepsy is on the list of exemptions.

[brighteyeowl17]

Get their registration number and complain to the general pharmacy council. I did similar when they dispensed my medication to someone else then withheld me any while they ‘investigated’

[NemoIsLost]

UPDATE.....

The pharmacist has rung me. He firstly apologized for accusing me of signing the script.
Someone had been given my prescription and when they got home realised it was the wrong one and bought it back. The pharmacist said the usual checks hadn't been made and he will take it further. He said the manager wasn't in until Friday.
I asked if the person had the same name as me and he said 'very similar'
So i still need to complain to Someone you think?

[Lulualla]

I would, because you can never be sure that they will self report.

[ashmts]

It's entirely up to you, not Mumsnet. If you feel angry and want to complain then do it but the pharmacy will be taking this very seriously. An error like this can have huge consequences, for a patient and for someone's career. Pharmacists have been jailed for dispensing errors. Alternatively ask the manager to update you once they've investigated and see if you feel it's been dealt with appropriately.

Pharmacies are hugely pressured environments. Nobody makes mistakes for fun. That's not for OP but for some of the other posters who seem to think pharmacists are infallible. The error rate from pharmacists is a tiny percentage of that made by medical staff.

[Lulualla]

This wasn't an error by the pharmacist. It was an error by the other stuff. The other customer obviously gave her name, the staff at the till looked up the script and passed it to the pharmacist. The pharmacist dispensed what was put infront of him. The staff then collected the packet and handed it over without checking address/date if birth.

Those are very very simple tasks, and they weren't performed. The result could have been anything up to and including death. If the counter staff have become lazy enough to not bother to ask address then that needs to be taken further.

[NeelixFelicis]

It's very unlikely someone has forged your signature, more that someone with the same name has been in to pick up contraceptives and the pharmacy haven't checked the address or listened to her response.

This happened to me - I went to collect DD's medication, signed and left, opened the bag and had been given my own MIL's tablets. They have the same first initial, surname & Doc's surgery.

You definitely need to complain OP.

I was expecting anti-biotics & paracetamol, but essentially got a mixed bag of drugs which gave away my MILs medical history. It's real negligence on their part, both for your health, and for your data confidentiality.

[ashmts]

And I have no doubt it will be taken further. I do understand what happened, no need to spell it out. As Responsible Pharmacist it doesn't matter if you made the error. You are accountable for all actions made by staff in your pharmacy.

If OP feels she needs to complain that's fair enough. Some people would feel that discussion with the pharmacist or manager is adequate. It's her call.

[SunburstsOrMarbleHalls]

Yes I would recommend that you complain. The fact the pharmacy manager is not in until Friday is irrelevant, it actually sounds as if they are trying to brush it all under the carpet. Any pharmacist (locum or otherwise) knows that appropriate action should be taken immediately. The store manager or deputy should have already have already have been informed of this serious incident and reported the dispensing error to the Superintendent Pharmacist at Tesco head office.

SOP's are clearly not being followed and a full investigation needs to be conducted and measures put in place to ensure the risk of this happening again is minimised, this could be through staff training and a review of protocols.

[Womanager]

Even though you don’t pay for prescriptions, you could still end up getting a fine for the wrong exemption being ticked, so worth pursuing it further. I managed to get a fine after having paid for my prescription, because a box had been ticked and didn’t match my details it triggered the fine automatically.

[BiBiBirdie]

Yes indeed I would raise it further.
I've been using our pharmacy, with the same staff, for 5 years. I go regularly because DS has regular medications. One is the aunt of one of DS mates.
Yet despite this, everytime I go and collect his meds, they ask me to confirm his name, and address in full. They never forget.
It's exactly because of possible errors, accidental or otherwise, that pharmacies have this in place so errors aren't made.
What if the person had if been elderly, or tired, or took them in good faith as they feel pharmacies don't make mistakes?
They should be severely reprimanded and they deserve to be.