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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.

Rose of Brooklyn, NY March 20, 2009

Rose of Brooklyn NY (03/20/09)
I made Refil RX #416066 On 3/16/09 Picked uo 0n 3/18 medication name:Levothyroxine 100 mcg tablemyl they yellow oblong shaped pills.i did open today i saw cuplets small white inprint with black letters mylan 810 .hat I have to do? I did Call pharmacy and they addmitted that they made a mistake.They Told Me To Bring Back medication(I spoke with them on the phone)

Deanna of Ormond Beach, FL March 14, 2009

Deanna of Ormond Beach FL (03/14/09)
My daughter was prescribed 30 ml of a blood thinner (levinox) and they were in pre measured suringes. 4o ml was what the pharmacist had given me. I would have never known if the home health nurse didn't asked to see my supply. The nurse told me if she had been given that dose that it would have killed her. The nurse called the store and asked them to read back the doctor's oder.

When they read back the order it was confirmed that it was writter for 30 ml not 40. If the nurse did not ask to check my 30 day supply my daughter would have been dead. There should be something done. My daughter was involved in a very serious car accident and thank God her life was spared and to think that she was almost killed by the pharmacist administering the wrong dose scares me to death. I am learning how to give the shots myself and I would have never looked or would have thought to check.

The drug store exchanged the prescription but thought it was no big deal. This is something very serious.

Rose of Columbus, OH March 13, 2009

Rose of Columbus OH (03/13/09)
every month my husband and myself get many meds filled here every month;every month without exception there is some mistake;it so frustrating and scary;only gave my husband half his prescription;kept saying they didnt have a fax refill for one of my life important drugs;my dr. showed me the receipt for the time and date it was sent;they lied;sent home one of my scripts with no label;gave me the wrong syringes for my insulin;tried to give me on script that belonged to another patient;and the list goes on and on.

emotional stress that had me screaming at the manager because every month there is a mistake;makes me nervous every time i need meds refilled;worry about mistakes;have to check everthing on every med;cant just assume its correct;am disabled so have to get dressed again and get out in wheelchair to go back to correct mistakes;use of time and extra gasonline;it is just ridiculous

Tammy of Jacksonville, FL March 6, 2009

Tammy of Jacksonville FL (03/06/09)
I took my prescription to CVS Pharmacy on March 1, 2009 to be filled. I noticed on March 5th, 2009 that I only received 30 pills for this presciption not 60 as prescribed by my doctor. I called CVS and spoke to one of the Pharmacy Technician's and they said to bring the presciption back up there and they would add the amount not filled initally to it. Once I got there I was handed over to the Pharmacy Manager who in return told me because the Pharamist who filled it signed off on the quanity that they had to check with the Pharmacy Supervisor.

I called them back on March 6th as instructed and was told that I had to bring in a prescription from my doctor for the remaining 30 pills that was not filled and that I would not be charged them. I am astounded that a Pharmacist can make a mistake like this and then not catch it once rechecked for errors. It is obvious the mistake was the medication was 30 mg and the quanity was 60, they filled the milligram number and not the quanity. I explained to the Pharmacist who counted to the number of pills I had after 4 days that there was only 22 pills in the bottle. I take one twice a day which would equal 8 pills out of 30 leaves 22, the number of pills I had.

The consequences of this is now I have to contact my doctor and have him write me a prescription for the 30 pills they did not give me, so a long with my doctor having to prescribe me more medication I also have to take off work to drive to his office to pick up this prescription because they are not open after I get off work. The end result is this caused my doctor additional work to write the prescription and me loss wages, gas, time, not to mention hassel and aggravation I am experiencing just because the Pharmacist could not count the medication right the first time.

Joe of Perry, FL March 5, 2009

Joe of Perry FL (03/05/09)
I turned my prescription in on a fri and was told to come back on tues and they gave me 23 pills to hold me until then which was fine. so tues comes around so I went back and they said to come on wed. they were not in yet. so I did so and when I was at work my mom went to pick it up. she brought it to me and there were only 23 again so I called and they said they already gave me 97. I said no only 23 then and 23 today. I have the bottles to prove it so she said I would have to wait until thurs because they could not read the pharmacists instructions clearly (not too mention she had an attitude)

thurs rolls around I went up there and some older lady said I would have to come back. he wouldn't be back until 3 o clock and we got into a verbal argument and she wasn't making any sense so it is now 1 20 and that's all that has happened so far if I do not get them at 3 I will write another complaint but long story short they are rude and try to make u feel like some kind of drug addict when they don't even know your problem. yea 23 is enough to help me for 5 or 6 days but that's not the point. I live out of town and its an inconvienence and if when they didn't have them the first time they should have said so. I have better things to do than go up there 3 or 4 times a week

after this I will never go back for anything at any cvs and they will not get any good comments to anyone from me or my family. also about a month ago I took my kids prescriptions up there and when I got it it was still a powder they didn't even mix it at all and I had to wait a day before I could start them on their meds and they had high fever and bad coughs. I think someone should at least say something to them. im not the only one I know that's had problems with them and another thing the 23 pills they gave me the second time didn't even fit the description on the bottle. they were supposed to be yellow and they were white

my kids whent another night with no meds and I've just used more gas and time than I should have. also the drama they put you through

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