WOMENS-HEALTH Messages for June, 2000: Rx Mix-up

Rx Mix-up

From: AMD (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Thu, 22 Jun 2000 23:38:12 -0500 (CDT)

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I had a slightly strange trip to the pharmacy tonight, and I was wondering if this sounded weird or troublesome, or if this sounds like business as usual...

My son's pediatrician called in a Rx for Augmentin to my local pharmacy that I use on a regular basis. When I got there they couldn't find it and they finally figured out it was one they had not been able to find on the computer. They started to just start all over on the ins. info and whatnot, but I insisted that he was in there since I had filled a script for him last week. It turns out the reason they couldn't find it on the computer is that they had written it for "megan" instead of "nathan". They straightened it out and filled it no problem. The pharmacist made a comment to the effect of "either I didn't hear it right or they gave me the wrong name". I am pretty sure the doctor's office didn't screw it up since they probably had the chart in front of them when they called. SO most likely the pharmacist didn't hear it correctly -- he was an older gentleman (>60), so it wouldn't be surprising if his hearing was less than perfect. However, it seems like a pharmacist should be darn sure he has it right, especially on the name of the patient and the name of the medicine. And he did not even verify with me that my son was not allergic to penicillin (which is the normal procedure at this store). This could be very dangerous if there was an actual mixup on the name or the medication.

Fortunately, we have an unusual name so it would be unlikely to have a genuine mix-up. But what if we were Smith or Jones? Or he had confused the name of the medication. I knew what was being prescribed so I would have caught a mixup there. But lots of times people don't know what was called in.

I guess the bottom line is -- does this sound like a potentially serious problem that I should report to the store, or is it common for the pharmacist to misunderstand the name of the patient or the drug?

Thanks, Andrea

Next message: Mona: "I had a 10lb 12oz baby now my hips are out of place"
Previous message: Vanessa: "Off the pill..still having problems.."
Next in thread: Kelly Shanahan, MD: "Re: Rx Mix-up"
Reply: Kelly Shanahan, MD: "Re: Rx Mix-up"
Maybe reply: Linda: "Re: Rx Mix-up"

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