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CVS Prescription Errors

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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.

pam of washington, DC May 11, 2009

A total of 5 prescriptions put in on Thrusday May 7th, 2009, when I arrived Friday May 8th, 2009 @ 6:30 p.m. I was informed they could not find the requested medication, I was then told the staff member assumed the last name read Wooten as apposed to Moates. This a lone I find hard to believe as there were four prescription out of the 5 that were written by one doctor and the fifth by another doctor, not to mention the fact when you drop off a prescription you are asked the date of birth and address before leaving.

After about 20 minutes I was given a bag containing 3 different medications that were in the name of someone else other than my husband. I called the pharmacy the very next day and explained the 3 prescriptions I received did not belong to my husband and there are still 2 missing. The first young lady I spoke to was very pleasant and helpful, as she went to other staff members for guidence she was met with attitude as the staff members were conversing. I was then placed on hold for 17 minutes total just listening to the pharmacy staff conversate about some sort of social function or gathering, one person asked another what they were making and when this person responded dessert she was told that was all she could make.

This was the most unprofessional experience I have had to date at a pharmacy. After the discussion was over about the function someone then deceided to pick the phone up that was sitting off the hook, when I explained again why I was calling this person proceeded to tell me I must have hung up the phone, after I expressed I was holding on listening to there conversation, this rude employee still did not have the decency to apologize.The rude empoyee continued to instruct me to return to the pharmacy with the medication that did not belong to my husband so they could back this out there system as it was charged to the insurance of [someone else]. Upon arriving at the CVS @ 6:00 p.m. that evening again my husbands medicine was not ready, I had to stand and wait once again, during this wait the pharmacist who was on duty seemed very unconcerned and as a result of my 1 hour wait the labels on the medication still read [someone else]. The service in this store is absolutely terrible, and the next time the person may not take the time to read the label and this could cost them their life. It appears this type of work should be performed by very detailed individuals, the staff in this store are becoming more and more incompetent. Alhough this is a very busy pharmacy as well as the store it self, that does not give them the right to treat people the way they do, as if they do not care about the public inwhich they are serving, and no matter how they treat us we should be okay with it.

I would like them to know we all are not okay with there treatment nor there behavior, as this store deals with a lot of elderly people my mother included, and I have to go this staore often to find out why she has been given medication that is not hers, as she is legally blind in one eye with a lot of other medical issues. I do not care what day of the week you go in there you will be met with a line and a wait. There customers are spending money in there store and they should do there part to take care of there customers.

Dino of Etters, PA May 8, 2009

5/4/2009: Doctor visit for Conjunctivitis, perscriptions sent directly to CVS for filling. At pick-up asked them where Gentamicen drops were with rest of order. Told no other items ordered by doctor. Three days later get call that G drops are ready for pick-up. Contagious condition untreated for 3-4 days do to incompetence of CVS pharmacists.

Darren of Kansas City, MO May 8, 2009

I dropped of two prescriptions on 4/24/09 fortow different children. I went back the next day and was told they had one ready, but the other could not be filled until the 27th due to insurance. So I waited until the 27th and went back to obatin the one that was left and they then told me it needed a pre-autorization from the doctor. They said they would call the doctor for me and I asked them why it had not been done in the last three days? They did not have any reason, but offered to call them for me. I said I would be back again later to get it. They called my house 20 minutes later and said it would be ready the next Monday. So I called them on Monday and they said that the doctor had not called them back, so again I had no medicine for a child who is to take it on a daily basis. Finally after them having the script for 10 days I was able to get this prescription.

I went and picked up both of them on 5/08/09 and found out the next morning that the other child's prescription, which was filled aftter I first dropped them off, was the wrong dosage of medicine. The pill was supposed to be white capsule 20mg and the one they filled was BRIGHT YELLOW and only 10mg- Are these people color blind and not able to read!! When I called the Pharmacist back that next day he said oh were sorry, just bring it back and we will exchange it. This is bad when they have a check system that the Pharmacist is reviewing all the prescription and even he does not see that this is not what should have been filled!!

Frank of Glassboro, NJ May 4, 2009

I have been dealing with this issue for two months. I submitted a script for Lipitor to this Pharmacy in February and received it. Prior to that I was on Zocor. When I went to pick up my script I was given both Zocor and Lipitor. I told the pharmacist that I would notlonger be taking Zocor and would not need this script. The technician told me she did not know how to erase this from the computer and I was so frustrated that I told her to keep the Co-pay of 7.00 for the Zocor and just give me the Lipitor. Which she did. The next month when I went back to renew my Lipitor I was told that insurance would no longer cover my Lipitor. But I could take the Zocor. I called my Dr. and he instructed the Insurance Company that it was necessary that I take Lipitor since I heve only one kidney and the Lipitor was better in my condition.

I understand the CVS has no control over Insurance Companies. But my doctor instructed CVS to give me the Zocor until something could be worked with insurance. When I went to the Pharmacy to give me the Zocor I was told that on 2/24/09 they gave me a script for 90 pills and that I could not have another until May 24, 2009. I never took the script they gave me in February since I thought I would be on Lipitor. They never removed it from the computer since the tech did not know how. I cannot tell you how many time I have been back to try to rectify this mistake but no one will acknowledge that someone could have made a computer error. The techicians in this store are the most imccompitent, uncaring idivivduals. They even insinuated that they could never have made a mistake in entering something into the computer.

Randall of Oklahoma City, OK April 16, 2009

Randall of Oklahoma City OK (04/16/09)
i droped off my prescription and 15 min later they gave me some lady's. i took it back. they apolagized gave me mine. i left

Rene of Santa Cruz, CA April 11, 2009

Rene of Santa Cruz CA (04/11/09)
I dropped of 3 precriptions on Wednesday April 8, 2009 and gave the clerk my new insurance. I came back 3 hours later to pick up my prescriptions and they were not ready because they said I did not have insurance. The pharmacist called the insurance company and said no one answered we will call you tomorrow and let you know that it was filled. It is now Saturday April 11, 2009. I called to see if my prescriptions were ready because NO one called me back. Only two were ready. They said I only had dropped off two prescriptions. Cecilia argued with me that THEY NEVER LOSE PRESCRIPTIONS.

I explained to her the situation of them not being helpful the other night with my insurance, thinking that she may remember, but no she continues to argue and say that I only dropped of two. This is very poor customer service! My family of 3 are going to move our prescriptions else where!!!! CVS just purchases our local Longs Drugs. I NEVER in my 8 years of having prescriptions at Longs, have had someone be so rude and have BAD customer service. I am going to write a letter to the editor of our local newspaper and tell people what idiots the pharmacists are at CVS!!!

I will now have to call my doctor and ask for another prescription and take time out of my day to go and get it!

Tammy of Lewisburg, WV April 10, 2009

Tammy of Lewisburg WV (04/10/09)
For the second time, this pharmacy did NOT notify me (the patient) that there was a problem filling my prescription PRIOR to my arrival to pick the prescription up. So when I arrive, thinking I am purchasing my medicine, they tell me Sorry, you can't get it. This happened this time on a Holiday weekend, so the Doctor office was closed and I was unable to be in touch with the Doctor to rectify the situation. To add insult to injury, the Pharmacist insinuated that it was MY FAULT this problem was occuring!

Depending on the medicine, this could have been a life threatening situation if the patient is FORCED to go without their medication for a period of time only because the Pharmacy did not let the patient know there were any problems.

The first time this pharmacy did not contact me when there was a problem, I was forced to go days without my medicine, suffering withdraw symptoms/illness. This time, I was able to purchase a small amount of medicine ONLY BECAUSE I HAD THE CASH ON ME!! If I did not have the cash, I would have had to go without my medication again due to their negligence.

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