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If not, you might want to start. I know I will be!
My son is on Focalin XR for ADHD. It's done some pretty amazing things for him, and so far I'm happy with it. However, we're still working on getting the dosing right. Two weeks ago, we went to the neurologist for the first time, and he wanted to try a different dose, and leave open the possibility of splitting the dose between morning and lunch time, so he wrote a new prescription.
Well, I'd already been burned before by waiting too long to take the prescription to the pharmacy, so I took it that day, and picked it up that Saturday (so, just over a week ago). It is INSANELY expensive ($271, even after the manufacturer's $60 discount)! However, we still had a good number of pills left from the last prescription because of the overlap caused by changing dosages, so I just set the unopened prescription bag in the cabinet. Well, today I went to get the pills because we're down to the last dose of the old bottle, and I open the bag, and open the pill bottle only to find it COMPLETELY EMPTY!!!!
I was freaking out. This is a controlled substance, so getting a new prescription for it again so soon was going to be next to impossible. Even if I could, spending over $300 to replace the pills would be a serious problem with my budget. I didn't know what to do though. Since this is one of those "controlled substances" it's supposed to be hand counted twice by the pharmacist himself, and it had been more than a week since I'd picked up the prescription, I just knew they were going to think I'd sold the pills or something and was just trying to get more.
I called the pharmacy anyway, because it was my only hope. I know I sounded panicked, because I was. I told the lady what happened and she gave me the whole "That's impossible, our pharmacist double counts each bottle by hand," thing. I explained that I KNEW that, and yet I still opened my bag to find nothing but an empty pill bottle.
I guess I got lucky because suddenly my "empty bottle" story struck something in her brain. She went and looked in their cabinets and found ANOTHER bottle of my son's prescription. Apparently, when there's a twice-a-day dose on these things, they send two bottles, so you can send one to school. The school bottle is normally empty, but it's printed with all the same stuff because it has to be for the school. The bottles are supposed to be rubber banded together, but I guess someone forgot, and when I picked up the prescription the lab tech had only grabbed the empty bottle.
I got pretty lucky that it was still there. Usually they don't keep them in the cabinets for more than 10 days after you dropped off the prescription. They go through them and return them to stock. They'd been short staffed the last couple of days and no one had gotten around to doing that!
Anyway, moral of the story, make sure you have your drugs BEFORE you leave the premises!
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Jun 2006
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Wow! You are very lucky, that is supremely scary!
Well, I have another "check your prescriptions" story - my nephew was given a prescription for an antihistamine. My sister in law picked it up, took it home, game him a pill, and then as she was putting it back in the cabinet managed to look at it more closely and realize it wasn't her son's prescription - they had given her someone else's prescription with a similar name - and it was for an adult's heart medicine!
Fortunately, after she called the pharamcy and the doctor in a dead panic they determined he would be okay. But, it is just another reminder to check things very thoroughly - make sure you have your prescription and that everything is there.
In fact, I would suggest everyone invest in a drug guide of some kind - the Davis Drug Guide for nurses is my favorite. Linky
If it is an unfamiliar medication I usually look it up, make sure that what I have been given is the correct drug and that the dosages are right. It just makes sense - everyone involved in your medical treatment, though very competent, capable professionals, are still just human. Mistakes happen, and no one is more invested in your (or your child's) health more than you.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I also count my cash upon withdrawal from the bank; similar principle. Twice I've been shortchanged by $400 or more.
Posts: 15421 | Registered: Aug 2005
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Well, I've always checked the print-out label at the store, and I always check the bottle at home before I give anything, but I'd never thought to actually take the bottle out and open it at the store. I sure as heck will now though!
Posts: 1321 | Registered: Jun 2006
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I do, and I have caught errors before. Nothing crazy like the wrong medication, but wrong amounts (1 month when it should have been 3 month supply) and once a different version of generic when the doctor specified a certain one.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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I do always to see that the label of the medication is right. If it is just empty, though, I honestly don't know what I would do, but thankfully that hasn't happened.
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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I've picked up my wife's medication, only to find out they were giving me her's and another woman's together.
I've had more trouble with disappearing medication for my parents. My father is going in next Monday for a biopsy. He is supposed to be on some anti-biotics before hand. They said they were going to call it into the pharmacy Thursday. As of Saturday it had not been called in.
Finally went to another pharmacy and it should be ready this evening.
My parents prefer the Talk-To-The-Wal pharmacies (Wal-Mart, Wal-Greens). I have had a lot less problems with a small local pharmacy with one or two pharmacists that I get to know well. It doesn't have the 24 hour around the country service, but it has much better safety that I can tell.
Posts: 1941 | Registered: Feb 2003
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