What was this capsule?

[Worried888]

Was given the wrong drug in a healthcare setting. They don’t know what they gave me.

It was a small capsule (smaller than paracetamol) one half was coloured yellow/orange and the other pink/red.

I am absolutely terrified as to what it could have been as I’m 6 weeks pregnant.

Bullocks… they know this is serious incident. They go to pharmacists, or even themselves and look up on BNF that gives photos of all drugs for this reason and overdosing.
this needs to be recorded as safety incident

if this is genuine post, then throw the bloody book at them and escalate urgently.

So where did the nurse get the capsule from if there isn’t a single other one on the ward?

I would be asking them if it’s possible it was from her own possession. Very unlikely but not out of the realm of possibility.

Used to treat pain..

I have no idea where it came from. They told me there is no way the tablet I was given could have been from anywhere but their stock cupboard and that there is nothing matching the description I gave aside from amoxicillin colour wise which is too large to be the capsule I was given and they have none unaccounted for. The pharmacist has checked their cupboard personally and checked all stock across the setting to see if any other colour of the drug I was supposed to be given exists across the setting. Their only explanation is that I mis-remembered. The number of the tablet I was supposed to have been given correlates with me having been given it correctly they said. The pharmacist has said that with it being one capsule even if it was any of the drugs in the stock he wouldn’t be concerned. I am finding it very difficult to move past this.

If they say that they've given you the right one and there are literally no other drugs unaccounted for in the hospital then there isn't a lot more you can do...tbh it sounds like they've checked as much as they can so i think you're going to have to just try and put it behind you.

When is your first scan if you don't mind me asking?

The pharmacist has said that with it being one capsule even if it was any of the drugs in the stock he wouldn’t be concerned.

Also I think you need to take this at face value. I understand it's very raw atm but you are going to have to move past it, I can't see any other way of you finding out what the drug is for sure, even if you see one you think looks the same. Take solace in the pharmacist saying he's not concerned. People take drugs not recommended in pregnancy all the time, for many reasons. Complications are very rare.

The pharmacist has said that with it being one capsule even if it was any of the drugs in the stock he wouldn’t be concerned. I am finding it very difficult to move past this.

I think that given the facts, you need to seriously consider that your memory of the size and colour of the tablet you were given might not be 100% correct and also accept that you are not in control of what might have happened, but you are absolutley in control of how you move forward with this.

How you deal with this will absolutely affect you and your emotional and mental wellbeing. What might have happened will in all likelihood, not. You're at a fork in the road here, and you can either let this taint the next few months and cause you stress which will have an impact on your baby, or listen to the advice you're being given and weigh up the risk, which sounds to be fairly negligable. Control what you can, which is your reaction.

Is there cctv around the drug dispensing area?

Not usually. I've only worked in one hospital witch cctv in meds rooms and that was stepping hill. For obvious reasons..

The pharmacist has said that with it being one capsule even if it was any of the drugs in the stock he wouldn’t be concerned

Someone has given you a medication they don't stock, can't identify and they are not taking it seriously at all. They need to suspend the nurse for investigation. For all anyone knows she could be handing out anything

This is the weirdest situation

It does sound very strange that they don’t have anything that matches up.

Two weeks ago my neighbours elderly father was given the wrong medications for days in a hospital setting. He was given incorrect meds, double doses and ended up very unwell. The staff alerted the family as soon as it was picked up.

I don’t think you should just accept it. There’s too many stories of nurses and medication wrongdoings. Not so long ago those nurses were in the news for sedating patients for an easier shift and laughing about it over text.

I don't want to fuel your anxiety op as I have been there after miscarriages and early pregnancy anxiety is absolutely horrendous. But I do agree with pp, they don't stock this medication? Well where the fuck did it come from then? This is not okay.

I recently saw a study about human short term memory and it was eye opening. A bunch of unsuspecting students were in a regular lecture. An actor dressed like a student came in, grabbed something off the lecturer's table and ran out. The students were immediately all asked separately to give descriptions BEFORE being told it was a social experiment. They gave mixed descriptions but most said "dirty blonde hair, green or blue coat and red or blue back pack" and they were pretty adamant they were right.

The actor had dark brown hair, cream coat and a black backpack.

So sometimes our memory does play tricks on us even when we're certain of something.

Absolutely this

When she says 'very few', that doesn't mean 'none'. The fact that you can name one drug that is dangerous doesn't mean that the post is 'technically incorrect'

What was the drug you were supposed to get ?

OP, I know being pregnant is a stressful time and given you've been in hospital, it's clearly been a difficult period for you, but you need to calm down, take a step back, and think about this methodically....

The hospital have checked the drugs cupboard on the ward and there is nothing in there that matches your description of the drug. They've also counted the medication you were prescribed and there is a single pill 'missing' from the pack, as would be expected.

If you look at the facts, then one of two things have happened. You are either wrong in your recollection and you did take the prescribed pill, or a nurse has purposefully given you a drug you have not been prescribed and is not even available in the ward drug cupboard.

Ask yourself, why would a nurse do this?

The facts all point towards you misremembering. And that's ok. But there isn't a conspiracy here and you need to try and see this for what it is. Do not let this taint the entire rest of your pregnancy.