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It's estimated there are as many as 7,000 deaths annually in the United States from incorrect prescriptions and pharmacy regulators say the problem is getting worse as the number of prescriptions increases and the number of pharmacists decreases.
But surely a big company like CVS has a way to reduce the number of errors to nearly zero? We'd like to think so but the accounts we hear aren't very encouraging. In addition to the general mishaps below, we have a growing collection of consumer complaints about potentially serious errors including wrong counts, wrong dosage, the wrong drug and mistaken identity. The service pharmacy patients and their caregivers receive also leaves a lot to be desired.
Mark of Randolph MA (08/20/08)
I suffer from prostate problems that seemed to be under control. One of the drugs I take is finasteride. Last month, the usual heart-shaped white pills were delivered in round blue. I took them for three days (because I was assured it was identical medication) and my symptoms all re-appeared. After calling the pharmacist, I was told they had purchased the drug from a different generic manufaturer and would return me to the old ones. My symptoms disappeared. This week, they did it again. I have been up for four nights, and they tell me they can't get the white ones unless you want to pay $60 instead of $15.
I am suffering, and can't sleep more than a couple hours before I have to urinate. This may also force me to have to undergo surgery.
Lynn of Delray Beach FL (07/30/08)
I gave the pharmacist a prescription to be filled, and he gave me the WRONG drug! If I didn't realize the error I would have taken it. When I called him, he admitted the error, and told me he'll exchange it for the correct drug. But he was very incompetent to have allowed this to occur.
Mental angguish
Fonnie of Atlanta, GA (05/25/08)
I was discharged from the hospital on may 22,08 and my wife to my prescription to the cvs to be filled when she picked it up she noticed that it was the wrong medication .
there was no damage done, how ever it could have been deadly had I taken that medication
Caitlyn of Shirley, NY (05/24/08)
Prescription for fluoxetine incorrectly filled with tamoxifen. when I returned to have this corrected they again filled it incorrectly with the wrong strength.
Maria of New Bedford MA (05/10/08)
I went to fill a prescription for my mother and was only given a partial prescription. She took the medication for three days. On the fourth day the pharmacy called to ask what color the pills in the bottle were. She asked if they were green pills with an M and I said yes. She then asked me to return the remaining pills and bottle. After returning from the pharmacy, I looked on the medication receit and noticed that it describes the pills as being pale yellow, round-shaped and imprinted with 347 on the front. I realized that my mother had taken the wrong pills for three days.
While taking those pills by mother had been very sleepy, dizzy, with no energy or appetite.
Deborah of Quincy MA (04/13/08)
My doctor increased my percocet Rx from 5 mil. to 7.5 due to the severe pain I've been in for a couple of weeks, Friday April 11th I got the new Rx filled and instead of 7.5 mil. the pharmacy filled a quantity of 125 pills as 10 milligrams NOT 7.5 (consequences described below)
On another Rx (dextrostat) this was a while back and I thought there was nothing I could do about it; I'm allergic to dyes & fillers so its always a chance with a new Rx, I had a severe reaction to one of the generic forms of dextrostat so my doctor had been adding **Name Brand Only** for over a year when a CVS pharmacist told me I wasn't getting the name brand, my insurance covered the generic and thats ALL I was getting from them, even after I explained the situation she spoke to me like I was an idiot,told me they did in fact have the name brand but I wasn't getting them. I never reported this because she totally caught me off guard with the way she spoke to me. To this day I'm still risking them changing drug reps & me suffering another (pointless) serious reaction!! Now I understand she had NO RIGHT to change what the doctor orders!
Percocet reaction:: I was OUT OF MY MIND! Dong things I've NEVER done before. paranoid Is the best word I can think of and vomiting for hours. I called the pharmacy & all they said was *oh we were suppose to give you 7.5 & we gave you 10 mil, just bring them back & we'll fill it correctly? I responded with *I'm in no condition to drive so someone else will have to bring them back, she said ok & hung up!! Like it was no big deal! I sent a message to CVS but have still not received a response.
Traci of Chandler AZ (01/25/08)
I called in to refill my prescription of Zoloft yesterday and when I pulled up to the drive thru pharmacy pick up, the pharmacist asked if I could come inside to talk about my prescription. I told him I could not because I had a newborn infant and a toddler in the backseat, so he just told me that the dosage that my doctor prescribed to me was only 50 mg, but they gave me 100mg tablets. So I've been over medicating myself for the past month. It says right on the bottle that you aren't supposed to breast feed your baby while taking this medication unless you talk to your doctor. Well, she told me that the dosage was so low that it shouldn't pass into the breast milk. Well, I wonder if she would have said the same thing had she known i was going to be taking 100 mg tablets!
Luckily I haven't felt any ill effects and I stopped breast feeding my daughter about 3 wks ago when it was time for me to go back to work. The Pharmacist told me that 'for the short term, it shouldn't have any ill effects on the baby'...But now I'm wondering if a particularly persistent canker sore on the inside of my bottom lip might have been caused by this and who knows what's going on inside my body that maybe i don't know about...(yet)??? I definitely have a bunch of questions for my doctor now.
I saw a story on CNN this morning about Zoloft being linked to suicidal thoughts and tendencies and so far I have only wanted to kill my husband, not myself. (KIDDING!!!!) I am not feeling suicidal OR homicidal.
Lori of Melrose Park IL (01/11/08)
I was givin the wrong rx. I was also given a dangerous amount, and now I am having physical problems, that have injured me and could possibly still be fatal. I had seizures, infections, and dehydration. I don't want to be another stastistic. The rx belonged to someone else, I took it untill it almost was empty before I saw a different name on the label.
Timothy of Palm Bay FL (12/01/07)
On 11/29/07 I filled a 7 day prescription for Lexapro which I have taken for the last 6 months for anxiety. This drug has improved my way of life and my well being. When I started taking this drug 6 mos. ago I was miserable and constantly depressed. Now that I have taken this my life is wonderful. This 7 day supply was supposed to be Lexapro but actually turned out to be Levitra. An E.D. medicine. Now I have been without my rx for a week and I am in pain and miserable. not to mention that the Levitra should not be taken by a person with HBlood Pressure which I Have. This could set me back months in my rehab. Also I was embarrased walking around a toy store with my son and having something suddenly come up!!!!
I cant wait to get there tomorrow to complain to the Pharmacist although after reading some of these other cases im not sure I will get the reaction I thought I would get. I am in alot of pain and hes gonna get an earful.
Douglas of Philadelphila PA (11/04/07)
I had several prescriptions to be refilled so I used their automated phone system. I was to pick up two orders of Norvir, one each of Epzicom, Invirase, Lyrica, and Bactrim. Bactrim hadn't been filled at all. The two orders of Norvir had been filled and then given to other patients. The order of Epzicom was double filled (I was given 60 pills in place of 30), and the order of Invirase was filled with Epzicom.
Laurie of Lubbock TX (10/27/07)
My 17 month old daughter was prescribed Reglan for her acid reflux and the doctor faxed a type-written rx to the pharmacy at CVS. 0.5 mL of the medicine was supposed to be given to her three times a day. The pharmacy printed the label to say 5 mL three times a day, ten times the dose she was supposed to be given. I did not know there was an error and gave her the medicine as instructed on the bottle for 6 days. After the first 3 days, I noticed a few odd things, but nothing I attributed to her new medicine.
On the 6th day, she started having major side effects so I called her doctor. When they heard how much I had been giving her, they were shocked and told me to immediately discontinue this drug and what side effects to watch for. We spoke with the CVS district manager who has been very apologetic and says he will work with us on whatever needs to be done to make sure she is okay. She's been off of the medicine for a week and a half now and is starting to go back to normal.
My daughter had severe anxiety attacks and also started having involuntary muscle movements, especially during her sleep. She acted as though her skin was extremely sensitive and did not want to be touched or held. She was beyond irritable and could not be consoled when she got upset, which seemed to happen for no reason. We are still watching her closely and hoping no permanent damage was done, but it will be a long time before I feel like she is safe from danger.
Kendra of Brooklyn NY (10/26/07)
My doctor gave me a prescription for the prenatal vitamin Primacare One. I dropped off my prescription at the CVS pharmacy (location #2769) in Brooklyn, NY. When I returned to pick up the prescription I was instead given prednisone. If the pharmacist was unable to read the prescription correctly, my doctor should have been contacted instead of guessing and giving me a very dangerous drug. This is a very serious matter considering I am pregnant and cannot afford to put myself or my baby at risk because of a pharmacist's negligence. This pharmacy should be investigated so that they do not put the lives of others at risk.
Jamal of Brooklyn NY (10/16/07)
I filled a prescription on 10/16/07, for Ocuflox 0.3% eye drops at the above CVS Pharmacy location. Once I was given the prescription I gave one dose to my 2 year old son. Later that day I was reading the prescription carefully to see how many times per day the drug was suppose to be administered. Upon further review I noticed that I was given Ofloxacin 0.3% EAR DROPS instead of eye drops. I then call another CVS Pharmacy to see if this was safe. I was informed that it was not the correct substitution. I was then told that I should stop usage immediately and contact the original CVS Pharmacy first thing in the morning.
Lucky, so far, there was no major consequences, except for complaints of burning by my son, but if I didn't read the label again it could have been disastrous. This medication was prescribed to be used for ONE WEEK. This is outrageous to say the least and serious actions should be taking so this will not happen to someone else.
Trinita of Alexandria VA (10/03/07)
On August 23, 2007 I went to the dentist for a tooth ache problem. I was give a prescription for penicillin for infection and vicoden to ease the pain. I took the medication as prescribed by my dentist for two days and felt no relief. I continued to have pain and major swelling started to occur in my lower jaw. I also was sleeping more and more and my heart was racing all the time. Asked my mother to take me to the emergency room because there was no relief. Before we left to go to the hospital I told my mother that I would check the medication and read it more carefully because I might not be taking it correctly. As I looked at the bottles and the description I notice that the pill shape did not match the shape stated on the bottle. I called my mother to look at the medication. I called the CVS Pharmacy to ask them about this issue and gave the tech the numbers off the pills that I had. The tech told me to stop taking the medication and to bring all the medication back to the store because I was taking the wrong medication. What had happened was that they did not give me pencillin at all. The had given me two different types of vicoden with different mgs. So not only was I taking more than the recommended doses, I was overdosing. So for two days I went without the right medication for my pain. I went to the CVS and got the right medication and the tech took my information because I told them I was going to sue them.
As a result of this I had to go back to the dentist and get check out again. I lost two more days of work. I was sick to my stomach and my heart rate impacted by taking more of a control substance than necessary that whole time I felt that I had more pain than I should have had due to not having the right medication.
Trinita of Alexandria VA (10/03/07)
On August 23, 2007 I went to the dentist for a toothe ache problem. I was give a prescription for penicillin for infection and vicoden to ease the pain. I took the medication as prescribed by my dentist for two days and felt no relief. I contine to have pain and major swelling started to occur in my lower jaw. I also was sleeping most and more and my heart was racing all the time. Asked my mother to take me to the emergency room because there was no relief. Before we left to the hospital I told my mother that I would check the medication and read it more carefully because I might not be taking it correctly.
As I looked at the bottles and the description I notice that the pill shape did not match the shape stated on the bottle. I called my mother to look at the medication. I called the CVS Pharmacy to asked them about this issue and gave the tech the numbers off the pills that I had. The tech told me to stop taking the medication and to bring all the medication back to the store because I was taking the wrong medication. They had given me two different types of vicoden with different mgs. I was overdosing. So for two days I went without the right medication for my pain. I went to the CVS and got the right medication and the tech took my information because I told them I was going to sue them.
Steffen of West Covina CA (09/27/07)
My wife went to CVS Pharmacy to have a prescription (Cefaclor) filled for my 4 1/2 year old son. When she got home, she was about to give him the 5ml dose and realized the prescription was in raw form (a powder). We called the pharmacy inquiring about the substance in the bottle that should have been in a liquid form and the tech said to just add water. I said that is rediculous and asked to speak with the pharmacist and she said in a rude manner they made a mistake, it was too busy, employees called in sick, and that a new coupon was out making them really busy. She said they were overwhelm and super busy, as if their mistake was my problem. We took pictures of the bottle before and after. They could have made my son really sick.
Earl of Mount Laurel NJ (09/08/07)
On September 7, 2007 around 5 pm I took a prescription to CVS pharmacy to have filled for an eye drop which was prescribed by my doctor. The box read put a drop in the left eye every 6 hours since my eye was sore I came home and put a drop in at 6 pm, At 9 pm when going to bed, I looked to see if there were any negitave reactions as I was going to put another drop in at 12 am. I then saw the paper said for ear use only.
I call CVS and found that they gave me the wrong medicine. when I returned to get the prescription exchange, I noticed I now see rings around street lights and since I have only one good eye. They didn't even say they were sorry.
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Denene of Rockwell NC (07/20/07)
My son has been taking the same medication for several years. I always have it filled at cvs so they have his records. They filled it with the wrong dosage. I called cvs and they told me they messed up. This could have been severe. They have also given my son's Rx to another child by the same name in the past that is 5 yrs. younger than mine is. Their response then was that it happens more than people realize.
Sherry of Gardner MA (07/19/07)
My doctor faxed in my two prescriptions to CVS. The Pharmacy said they were never faxed over. I called my doctor and was transferred to a nurse and told her my predicament. All she could do was call in a 7 days supply. When my doctor was available, she refaxed them my prescriptions. At this point, I have had to make TWO co-payments and two trips to CVS for one month’s supply of my medications instead of the ONE co-pay I should have only had to pay and one trip if CVS hadn't lost my faxed prescriptions.
One month later, my doctor again faxed in my prescriptions. I picked them up a day later and didn't check them until I had to take them. One of the medications was OK. The other medication was the right medication but the wrong dosage. I called CVS and the pharmacy said that they indeed did make a mistake. I am on social security disability, I do not own a car and I rely on others to give me rides. I had to put the burden on the same person again to take me back to CVS because of their mistake. The types of medication I take can't be missed and I need to take the correct dosage it is very important.
Sherry of Great Mills MD (07/04/07)
I was issued a prescription for TRIAM/HCTZ 37.5/25 (which I have been taking for about 2yrs). CVS filled it with TRIAM/HCTZ 75/50. I took it for about 9-10 days and I was light headed, dizzy, vomiting, an upset stomach.
Jeremiah of Austin TX (05/31/07)
The instructions for the medicine stated to Take 3 teaspoonfuls by mouth twice a day for 10 days. According to the prescription written by doctor, the label should have read Take 3 ml by mouth twice a day for 10 days. Due to the negligence, our daughter, who is 17 months and 21 pounds, received 5 times the amount prescribed.
When we called the pharmacy to verify that the dosage was correct we spoke directly with the pharmicist. After determining that the dosage was erroneous he did not act even mildly concerned. He was not at all sympathetic and acted as if it was no big deal.
Alice of Haddonfield NJ (05/24/07)
Filled my script for thyroid medication Levothyroxine (generic) .125MCG 1/day. Both bottles showed all the correct, identical dosage of .125MGC. I called the pharmacy to check and she said that my last script was filled at another store and sent over to them, and it was filled incorrectly, so for the past month I have been taking only .025MCG of my meds.
I just was at the doctor yesterday telling her to call ASAP when my blood work gets in, as I felt horrible, muscle and joint pain, so very tired, weak and could not concentrate, almost as if I was hypothyroid again. I still didn't think much of it, mistakes are made...but when I googled CVS mistakes on meds, I was appalled at the amount of complaints, many worse than my own. This is serious business.
Dave of Herndon VA (05/15/07)
CVS Pharmacy filled two of my prescriptions on the same day: Ambien 10MG, a sleeping pill and Lipitor 10MG, a daily anti-cholesterol. Both pills are white and small. CVS placed the wrong pills in the wrong bottle. Each evening I was taking Ambien instead of Lipitor. For three weeks, I would wake up fatigued and had to take naps each day.
Michele of Cherry Hill NJ (05/12/07)
A Streoid medication was prescribed for my 3 year old son. The bottle dispensed by the pharmacy stated take 3 teaspoonfuls twice a day for four days. It should have read take ONE teaspoonful twice a day. I called the pahrmacy after I had given him his first dose and asked the pharmacist to read the prescription back to me..She read it back to me as one teaspoonful and admitted to an error on their part. Had I not called and questioned them, my son could have been really hurt....Thankfully, I questioned.
Pam of Pisc NJ (04/20/07)
I was given the wrong dosage prescription by an admitted unsupervised 6th year intern at the CVS pharmacy. The prescription from my doctor was written for a 25 mg dosage of a medicine but I was given a 50 mg dosage. Because the medicine had been prescribed as a result of surgery Id just recently completed only days before I had no history with the medicine. I thought I'd read the label on the bottle incorrectly by when I opened it to check its contents discovered that the pills were pink rather than white as had been described to me by my doctor.
When I confronted the (actual) pharmacist on duty, she admitted that the person who filled the prescription had filled the prescription unsupervised and worse, unchecked by her before the medicine was sold to me. She claimed that 6th year interns are allowed to fill prescriptions but only under a pharmacists direct supervision. For all I know the medicine and the dosage could have been wrong but I at least caught the dosage error a double dosage could have caused significant negative issues had I not caught the error. The pharmacist apologized for their mistakes, refunded my money, and gave me the correct medication/dosage.
Lisa of Lynn MA (04/02/07)
Wrong dosage on a medicine. Was almost 3 times more than the prescription. Meds taken for a week. Effected sleep, work and became depressed.
Dorothy of Severn MD (03/15/07)
I go to CVS pharmacy for all of my prescription needs and I have placed my trust in them for my medication to maintain a healthy life. Yesterday, I picked up my prescription of Seroquel 100 mg up of 30 tablets. With the pill on my tongue and the bottle of water in my hand, something stopped me. Some instinct where I thought I better check this out. A blessing indeed that I did. I got on the internet and looked up a 24 hour CVS Pharmacy and I spoke to their pharmacist. I read the pill inscription and she told me that it was a drug called Toprol. This is a heart medication! Being I take other medications such as: Synthroid, Welbutrin, and Methylphenidate, this could have killed me!
Fortunately, something got my attention. I did call the pharmacist first thing in the morning named Adam who was apologetic and stated he would fill out an incident report on this. He also stated he would call all of the people who may have been getting the Toprol. I am hoping that someone did not get my medication because most people DO NOT LOOK! Someone could be in serious danger out there.
Angie of Leonard TX (02/17/07)
My daughter, who is seven years old, was prescribed Amoxicillin 400mg chewable tablets. The pharmacy dispensed two boxes of Amoxicillin taped together...however one box was 200mg and the other 400mg. When I realized this mix up two days later, the pharmacist was hesitant to give me the complaint dept. phone number. He stated we will give you a gift card and refund your money when you return for the additional box of 400mg. Needless to say, I am filing a complaint with the supervisor, as well as with CVS. Mistakes of this nature should not occur.
P. of Hankamer TX (02/15/07)
I provided this store with my Doctor's written prescription on a drug for .2 (POINT 2) Percent of NITROBID and was, instead- given a tube of (FULL) 2 %! NITROBID is normally used for patients with Heart Arythmia, (It increases blood flow by relaxing blood vessels) but, in my case- it was being tried to help a non-healing fissure. Not noticing label the mistake, I followed orders to apply 3 times daily... with HORRIBLE Effects! At Full-Strength, NITROBID causes EXTREMELY SEVERE HEADACHES and HEART PALPITIONS, Particularly in someone who does NOT have Arythmia!
Because CVS NEVER CONFIRMED (by Phone- as is their POLICY) the CORRECT Dosage/ Prescription with my Doctor- I Suffered BOTH Dibilitating Headaches AND Heart/ Chest Pain. What really irks me is that, when I dropped off the Prescription to CVS on a Thursday Morning, I was told it would be 5 DAYS before they could fill it... CVS HAD 5 FULL DAYS TO CALL AND CONFIRM THE PRESCRIPTION / DOSAGE and they NEVER DID!
Heather of Pelham NY (02/14/07)
A prescription that I filled was placed in a bag with a precsription that my father filled. Neither of us knew that the other had even filled a prescription. We have learned from experience to check the name and address on the bag very carefully because CVS has given us the wrong prescription bag several times. He checked to be sure it was his name and address, so imagine his surprise when he went home to find my birth control pills instead of his prescription. Luckily the container looked unusual to him so he know that there was a mistake.
If my prescription had been in a bottle I know that he would have just taken the prescription without thinking twice. When I went to complain the pharmacist apologized and said you are over 21 so your father really can't say anything. I am well over 21 and my concern is not parental approval of my prescriptions. My concerns are safety and privacy. What if my father had taken an incorrect prescription? And I have an absolute right to privacy when filling a prescription. I have had many negative experiences with CVS Pharmacy, and now I have reached my limit.
Maxine of Myrtle Beach SC (02/09/07)
My Endocrinologist prescribed a new drug for me to try...Januvia 25mg, the recommended dosage for people with severe renal insufficiency. I discovered the Rx was filled for 100mg. I had already taken two doses. I immediately lost confidence in the pharmacy staff and requested my original Rx be returned. Although I have been a customer of Revco and CVS for over thirty years, I will not do business with them ever again.
Debra of Shannon AL (02/07/07)
I went to CVS to get my prescription for Lorazepam refilled. They gave me the wrong drug. Instead of giving me Lorazepam they gave me an old ladies medication to treat urinary urgency that starts with a V. When I took the medication back they apologized and gave me a refund.
Jullie of Paris TX (01/31/07)
My son was given the wrong dosage by the pharmacy, 50 times what he should have gotten. I was told to call his dr who told me to call posion control. I was told he should be fine but I would need to seek medical attion if his eyes were diolated, he was unable to be calmed or hulsanating. When I got to the school he was having lunch I looked into those little eyes and the puples had covered the iris. I asked him how he felt he told me his head felt funny then stared fallowing bees and buzzing. We rushed to the Emergancy room when we got there he looked at me and asked who I was in his intire life the longest he has been away from me is 12 hours. That broke my heart. I finally got him to come back to me and know who he was.
The dr assesed him and flushed him with fluids by mouth till his heart rate slowed closer to normal and his puples were comming down that was only one and a half doses. One of the nurses told me that had I given him all three doses like I was told to by there was a good chance that he could have had a heart attack becuse it is a sulphate drug.
Annette of South Gate, CA (01/28/07)
I have had so many problems with CVS pharmacy, the most disturbing was about 2 weeks ago when I picked up my prescription. I opened the bag before leaving (luckily) and noticed they had substituted my prescription (anti-depressant I have been taking for 3 years) for another medication. When I asked why they had done this they claimed that they had spoken to my doctor and asked his permission to fill it with another medication that would be covered under my insurance.
I have paid cash for this medication for 3 years because it is not covered by my insurance and there is not currently a generic form of this drug. I know that my doctor would NOT have done this because I had tried several medications before finally finding one that worked for me. I asked for copies of this misfilled prescription because I felt that this was very serious.
I asked that they fill my CORRECT prescription and they could only fill it partially because they were out of that medication. Which makes me think that they may have realized they were out of my medication so just substituted it with one they had!
Jamie of Covington GA (01/24/07)
I got some perscriptions filled and came home and was gonna give my son his, and my husband noticed that it could not be for our son. it was adult medication and they were not for him. i called the pharmacy and a lady answered and i explained to her what had happened, all she could say is oops. and hold on. then the pharmacist got on the phone. he was so rude and said and acted upon his words that he did not care. remarks were made, what do you want me to do, jump up and down? and say sorry?
Audrey of No. Ft. Myers FL (01/19/07)
I picked up a prescription for my husband Harold for Byetta a diabetic medication in the form of a pen. This was the first time purchasing this drug newly prescriped by his physician. I got the drug home and being a new drug I read the carboard box that the diabetic pen came in. There was a red statement that I could partially see next to the pharmacy label that read if seal is broken contact your ph. It clearly looked to me as though the metallic seal closing the carton had been lifted up, not necessarily broken, but lifted up. I then noticed to small white tabs such as could be purchased at any office supply store clearly holding the carton flap closed.
Upon closer examination I noticed that the pharmacy label containing the usual information such as patients name, address, doctor, RX #, medication name, dosage, refills, etc. had been placed over another label. I peeled back our label and beneath it was another label containing another persons information, name, address, doctor's name, usual drug information, etc.
Rachel of Fitchburg MA (12/15/06)
Pharmacist error - gave me another patient's prescription which was three times the dosage prescribed by my physician. I discovered the error after I had taken all the medication. I have continuing medical problems as a result. I have been unable to continue my work as a specialized foster care provider for special needs individuals and had to give up my client, lost 40k tax free annual stipend, plus continuing pain, lethargy and illness.
Laura of Sparta NJ (12/11/06)
I dropped off a prescription on Friday and was told it would be ready on Monday. On Sunday they called and said it would not be ready until Thursday. I explained that Thursday would be too late for me. So I asked them to call the doctor to approve a substitute. They said it would be ready on Monday. I picked up what I thought was my prescription at around 5 pm. I questioned the woman at the drive-thru window why it was so expensive. She said it's what the insurance company agreement was. At 8 pm I was just about to take it and noticed that it was heart medication and not cold medication.
I called the pharmacy immediately and explained that I had Karin Takacs' medication (not Laura Takach). They became very defensive and claimed that it was my obligation to check and would not accept responsibility for the issue other than it was an honest mistake. Not even an apology. They also said that I would need to bring it back to receive a refund. They had a very difficult time finding out what happened to my prescription and when they did they said that it wasn't even ready. This time they said it was discontinued (the last time they said it would take until Thursday for them to get it from their warehouse).
Shelia of Durham NC (11/20/06)
i was prescribed a medication for pain in my arm. the cvs pharnacist gave me some one elses medication it was anti depressemt called paxil. i was in so much pain that i didn't relize that the nmedication was for some one else nor the young lady ask me my name she just said sign here and gave me the medication i have a lot of health probleems which one is a liver disease and paxil shouldn't be given. i was very sick the night i took it and was frightening to think i could be sick from it.
i was sick for about 24 hours with light headness, nausea, drowseness.
Marshun of Decatur GA (11/06/06)
My son rec'd a prescription from his dentist for Amoxicillin (250mg. After taking the prescription to the neighborhood CVS, I thought that everything was okay. After several days I noticed that my son not only had someone else's meds it was 400 mg. I spoke to the DM of CVS for my area and he offered me a measley $750, my son was vomitting, lethargic w/ severe diarrhea. He also experienced a fever on one of the days that he was ill. THis went on for over a week and a half.
Nicole of Deer Park TX (08/14/06)
After 6 days my daughter was done with her medicine. Three of us still had medicine that would last 4-5 more days. She began getting sick again on 8/13. Stayed home from her 3rd day of school because of a fever, sore throat, and congestion. Contacted the pharmacy, they told me the medicine was not filled correctly. Called the CVS on 8/14 they have not stated it was filled wrong. They suggested I measured it wrong or gave her medicine to someone else. They are refilling the medicine at no cost to us, but what about the affects on our daughter? Will there be any? We do not know.
Anthony of Goodrich TX (04/01/06)
CVS Pharmacy has made several mistakes that have made my life feel like a minefield, when taking my medicine. I was given my fathers medicine and took one before my ex-wife read the container and realized that it wasn't my prescription. They have also given me the wrong dosage of my breathing medicine. I am suppose to have 600mg of it daily according to the written prescription, and was given 30 tablets @400mg the pharmacist told my ex-wife (she picked up my prescriptions)That it was supposed to be 600mg per day. I was given only 30 tablets not enough to cut in half some tablets to make up the difference to 600mg, and last out the rest of the month.
Anthony of Goodrich TX (04/01/06)
I was given my father's medicine and took one before my ex-wife read the container and realized that it wasn't my prescription. They have also given me the wrong dosage of my breathing medicine. I am suppose to have 600mg of it daily according to the written prescription, and was given 30 tablets @400mg the pharmacist told my ex-wife (she picked up my prescriptions) that it was supposed to be 600mg per day. I was given only 30 tablets not enough to cut in half some tablets to make up the difference to 600mg, and last out the month.
I have had several other problems where they have had my prescriptions turned in a day or two in advance and still they were not ready when promised and needed. THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE PLEASE, before someone dies from their mistakes.
I was in the hospital with pnuemonia, and have had a lot of problems with my brathing the last several months and didn't know why. I was taking my prescriptions as I thought I was suppose to, not knowing the pharmacy hadn't given me the dosage that the doctor had prescribed, so I was not getting the relief and help breathing that the correct dosage was suppose to do. I still have the bottles from the last several months where the dosage was wrong.
Ronald of Meriden CT (03/19/06)
My Doctor specifically states in my prescription to provide a 30 DAY supply of AMBIEN for my sleeping problems to be taken one pill EVERY DAY. When I go to fill my prescription, CVS only gives me a 16 day supply with the note to take the medication EVERY OTHER DAY. It is not of my knowledge where a large scale pharmacy chain can dictate, decide and overwrite what a liscenced physician prescribes. My Doctor SPECIFICALLY says to dispense a full 30 pills...What can I do to stop CVS from doing this?
I have gone several nights with NO SLEEP at all. I have chronic insomnia due to severe medical problems and I have been further weakened by not getting proper sleep for days at a time.
Surekha of Johnstown PA (03/13/06)
Someone in this pharmacy gave me 80 mg capsules of the anti-psychotic Geodon instead of 60 mg Geodon. After taking the solid blue Geodon capsules for 2 weeks, i began to have such severe dystonia in my tongue and facial muscles that i could not go to work. When I showed my doctor the prescription bottle and the pills I had been taking, he looked at the PDR and discovered I had been taking the 80 mg Geodon capsules; two of those once a day meant I had been taking 160 mg of Geodon instead of the 120 mg Geodon my doctor had prescribed for me.
I had to give up my full-time job immediately and i have been unable to work since because of the severity of the side effects (specifically carpal tunnel nerve damage to both hands), I incurred extreme medical expenses, including monthly visits to new york city because there are no adequate caregivers or facilities in the area where i am currently living. I have still not received my Disability status from Social Security despite my best efforts at complying with their procedures. i have had to postpone indefinitely my plans for graduate school.
Dwayne of Wallingford CT (03/05/06)
I have a herniated disk, which I take Avinza 60mg once a day for the pain. It is a slow release Morphine. All pharmacies here in Wallingford were out and I needed to fill my script, but CVS in Meriden was only place that could fill it. I had been taking my pills all month, noticing more pain than usual and very uncomfortable nights. I thought: "Maybe I'm getting worse?"
So I get to the final week before I'm to refill my script and in much more pain than usual. The instructions for the Avinza say you can sprinkle on Applesauce for quicker pain relief than waiting for the gelcap to dissolve. I have done this is past on occasion knowing relief does kick in quicker. I am about to do this after being in pain and to my surpise notice that the pill has only half the time release beads it should.
So I count the rest of my pills and notice I am 5 pills short and also decide to check the remaining caplets to find all half filled and one with 3 beads in it (virtually none) Great, now I see why this has been an exceptionally bad month. I've basically paid them for half to no medication.
I have suffered in horrible back pain for the past month, not getting much sleep and my quality of life has been awfull.
John of Hampstead NC (02/22/06)
On several occasions recieved a prescription for a controlled substance that was missing pills. When I confronted the pharmacy manager she stated that 2 pharmacists counted the prescription. I find it hard to believe that not only one person but 2 people can not count to 30? This has happened at other CVS pharmacies in the past.
Aneeta of Englishtown NJ (02/08/06)
My son had a tonsillectomy surgery on Monday Jan 23rd . I had taken the prescription from this CVS store in Manalapan. On the prescription it said the dosage is 2.5 tea spoon. So, I gave my son 2.5 teaspoon every 4/5 hrs. which was a much higher dose then the doctor prescribed. I called the CVS that same night about this after one dose and the lady assured me that they will fix this first thing in the morning so I was staying safe by giving him much less dose though in pain.
Nobody called next morning or afternoon that day and even after that I wrote the complain on the net they wrote me after 2 days and the guy from cvs called calling himself a supervisor and it seemed he was fed wrong information so he said he will call me after a through investigation. Anyway after a call and mail back and forth on 02/06/2006 I get a call from their research department to settle this case with $1500 in pain and suffering and added clause that in future if my son has problem with this issue i can't sue them.
From the beginning my intention was not suing but fixing and accepting the error and I wanted them to be extra careful in future.
Edmund of St. Marys GA (01/20/06)
I have high pressure in both my eyes (27). Dr Gilbert had me on Cosopt in my left eye and xalatan in both eyes. I had the cosopt refilled apprx. three weeks ago. I called in today to refill and found I had gotten the wrong medicine. I was given Trusopt instead and used it for this three week period before finding the error. I contacted Dr Gilberts office and talked to his nurse and he told me to immediately discard the Trusopt and get back on the Cosopt. He was very upset with CVS and said my pressure in this eye would be dangerously high.
Jenniferof Phila PA (01/18/06)
My 16-month-old daughter was given zantac instead of zyrtec. She was vomiting the entire night before the error was found. My husband missed a day of work without pay to stay home with her the next day. Daycare had to be paid for her even though she missed the day.
Alverta of Detroit MI (04/14/05)
I was given the wrong medications in my bag with my name on it but someone elses pills. If i was a person who could not read i would have taken the wrong medication.
Rosemarie of Reading PA (02/10/05)
My Grandson was diagnosed and given a prescription for medication for ringworm. My daughter picked the medicine up and brought it home. The pills were too large for my 6 year old Grandson Daniel to swallow. Thank God she didnt give the medicine to Daniel. The pharmacy gave her Oxaprozen. Which is used for different forms of arthritis. An anti inflammatory.
Roseanne of Keyport NJ (03/04/04)
They filled my medicine wrong for 5 months, because they did not read that the doctor had increased the dosage, so it took them 5 months to finally do it right.
It actually did not change anything, but I dont know if my pressure would have come down any lower? The reason I was annoyed was because, they dismisssed it so casually. My Question was what if someone else got the wrong medicine and nobody noticed.
Julie of Herndon VA (07/18/03)
I went in to have a prescription filled for a pain medicine for cystic ovarian pain. The medicine was Tylenol 3 with Codiene. They filled the prescrition with the correct medication dosage etc. But, they put the wrong persons name- address & even doctor's name. When I notified them of this error they said oh - well he's related to you isn't he. NO, I said I have no idea who this is. I said this is a very dangerous error to make as this is a narcotic medication. They said oh, well we had a floater in hear - she must have mixed it up. That was the extent of the conversation.
She was not shocked or suprised - or even apologetic! She sounded like this was a daily occurance! I hate to think what would have happened if someone got a hold of this medication & took it.
Christine of Saugerties NY (7/4/03):
The pharmacist was given a prescription with a dose increase. The original perscription was for a 25-day supply. It was day 17 of the prescription which was early, but the dose was changed. I still had medicine from the remaining prescription and asked the pharmacist if he would keep the one prescription and fill it when it was time and he would not. He told me he did not feel comfortable dispensing this dose and that I was to go elsewhere.
When I got home I called my insurance company to ask them if there was a problem with the prescription and they said there was not and it could be filled in 4 days which was fine and then I called the phamacist back to ask him if he had called the insurance company to get an approval for the dose increase if that is what he needed and he said he did not and would not. And he would not call my physician either.
We have increased the dose a lot lately because of invasive treatment procedures and an upcoming surgery but he is basically disregarding my physician's instructions by refusing to hold the prescription until the date that it could be filled. He was rude and unprofessional and I will be taking my buisness elsewhere from now on.
Leah of Erie PA (6/18/03):
On April 15 2003 my 10-year-old daughter's dermatologist called in a prescription for Aldara cream. She had a skin disorder called Molluscum Contagiosum which caused her to have 2 little warts on her neck. The Aldara cream was the best treatment the dermatologist said because it would cause no scarring. I went to the pharmacy on 4-15-03 to pick up her prescription; the pharmacist told me the cost was $192.00 for a ten-day supply and was not covered under my insurance. He then said do you want me to call the Doctor and see if there is something comparable that is covered under your insurance? I said of course try that first before I spend that amount of money.
About an hour later the Pharmacist called and said her prescription was ready to be picked up. So I went back to CVS to pick it up. The prescription was called Elocon and she was to apply it 2 times a day. I immediately started applying it to her 2 warts on her neck. Within days her condition spread a little but I just thought maybe it got worse before it gets better. By the time May came around my daughter had 15-20 warts on her face and neck and acne at 10 years old.
On May 8 2003 I called her dermatologist to ask her if this was normal. The dermatologist proceeded to tell me that a pharmacist never called her, the only prescription she prescribed was the Aldara cream, there is nothing comparable. She also said to stop using the Elocon, that will only worsen her condition and Elocon should never be used on the face.
At this point her condition was horrible -- she had about 25 warts on her neck and up her face some scaring and patches of red acne. When I called the pharmacist at CVS and explained to him what had happened, he told me he had made a mistake and called her pediatrician instead of the doctor who originally called in the prescription. Obviously the pediatrician had no idea what either of these medications are, why he couldn't realize he never called it in in the first place I'll never understand. That is the reason I found a new pediatrician.
I told the pharmaxist how bad her face looked and insisted he give me the Aldara cream for free. He hesitated a little but I insisted. I then took my daughter back to the dermatologist. My daughter now had to be treated for acne and scarring. Now I have used very sparingly this Aldara cream that CVS gave me, her condition remains the same her acne has cleared a little but she still has about 20 warts. This Aldara cream takes 6-8 weeks to see results. I had run out of the Aldara cream and decided to call CVS for another refill and again insist there be no charge. They were much more hesitant this time, and told me any further refills I would need to pay for.
My daughter back in April was in the fourth grade. She cried everyday because she didn't want to go to school, kids made fun of her. No other fourth grader has acne let alone warts on their face and neck. Other kids are scared to be around her or to touch her they feel they may catch it. She was on the swim team at her school and also was signed up for a summer swim team for the YMCA that she cannot do because these warts are contagious and are most often passed in swimming pools. It is now summer vacation and my little girl does nothing but sit in the house because she's embarrassed of how she looks. She is still beautiful but this has really damaged her self esteem.
Leah should have contacted an attorney when the problem first surfaced back in April, instead of trying to negotiate for free prescriptions on her own. Although it may be too late at this point, she should still consult an experienced, aggressive personal injury attorney.
Carol of Bloomington IL (6/4/03):
My mother went into the Mendota CVS on May 12th to pick up a refill of her Clonedine medicine. She was told by 2 women filling prescriptions that her last prescription was on April 21 and that she could not get a refill until May 21. My mother told the women that she was going to run out and that their must be a mistake. They told her she was wrong.
She went back home and checked her medicine cabinet and pill box again to make sure she had not made an error. She went back to the store twice to explain to them that she did not have her pill for Tuesday evening May 13th and she would be out. They said she should come back Wednesday May 14th and they would give her her medicine. She explained that she would be missing two doses of her clonedine. They told her they were sorry but that they could not give her her medicine until Wednesday. Even though a pharmacist was present, they did not ask his assistance nor did they offer to call my mother's doctor.
By Wednesday morning my mother was in the Mendota hospital with high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. She was sent by ambulance to Rockford Medical for an Angiogram. The angiogram did not show any unusual blockage and the physician said that the cause of her problems could have been the missed Clonedine.
My mother was in the hospital from May 14 to May 18. My father went to CVS on Wednesday May 14 and talked to Alec Lund. He looked up my mother's prescription and said that they had made an error when filling the prescription on April 21. They should have given her 60 tablets instead of 30 tablets. James Spitz filled the prescription. Alec Lund apologized and gave my father 30 more tablets.
We believe the missed Clonedine was the cause of my mother's hospitalization. Since her release from the hospital on May 18th she has been put on Clonedine 3 times a day. She became extremely tired and the doctor told her to go back to two a day. She ended up back in the hospital on May 22 thru May 27th. She had lost 1/3 of her blood from gastrointestinal bleeding, her blood pressure was spiking and she had congestive heart failure.
My mother is in a very fragile state. I want an official complaint filed against the drugstore for their incompetence and lack of empathy. Prior to the incident my mother was gong to water aerobics 6 times a week and was recovering from a bypass she had in December.
Luz of Clifton NJ writes (4/5/03):
Every month that I take my mom's prescription to CVS they lose her Medicaid. This is the third month this has happened to her. Than when you call the store they tell you that there is nothing they could do, especially the manager (mr. Ortiz). I believe that they have a problem losing everything.
I have a sister that spends $500.00 in medicine and everytime she goes and stands there to check her medicine they give her the wrong ones. I think they trained on how to treat customers and how not to lose their important documents.
Debbie of Worcester MA (3/30/03):
Called in my prescription to CVS at 6 in morning. I have to be to work at 6 so I just quickly called the prescription in. Got to CVS at 6 at night. It is right on my way home. Stood in line for a half hour and then when it came my turn I was told my prescription wasn't ready and I was asked when I brought it in. Told them it was called in at 6 am. They told me that I would have to wait to have it filled and I said that that was not happening. I had waited 1/2 hr in line for this and I wanted it filled now. Lady at counter was very nasty but filled my prescription.
I e-mailed CVS about this incident and received the regular "pain in the neck customer letter." No satisfaction there. This was after suffering thru several times of this type of treatment. In the e-mail I told them that I had changed pharmacies. But they could have cared less.
My Mother had a horrible incident in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina with CVS and I e-mailed again about the incident with the same results. My Mom is 79 and they upset her terribly. Do they treat all their elderly customers in this manner? They could care less. My daughter in the meantime in New York went to pick up her husband's prescription for cluster headaches only to get the prescription home, looked at the bottle to see a different name on the bottle. The prescription was for a woman. It was her hormone prescription. When she returned to get the right prescription the Pharmacist told her it was my daughter's fault for not checking the bottle.
My question is this ... is there no way to have accountability for such a large company and how they teach their employees to handle customers? There seems to be no way to control them. I have three different people in three different states and four separate situations all having the same horrible experience with the same company and the same results..
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