Be Aware! Pharmacists do make mistakes!

I wanted to share a recent experience I had regarding a prescription that I had filled incorrectly - that my GP says could have been a fatal mistake.

Recently, my Rheumatologist at Mayo wrote a prescription for Amitriptyline 10 mg that I am to take at bedtime.  

This is an antidepressant that has been around a long time and they are using it a lot now to treat Fibromyalgia patients thinking that at a very low dose 10-20 mg it helps the patient get into the REM sleep pattern otherwise thought to be absent in these patients.  

My husband graciously dropped off / and picked up the prescription for me - and I was looking forward to starting it as maybe this would finally be the answer to the fatigue and pain I have been dealing with for years.

My physician spoke about starting at 1 to 2 tablets a night, but that I could slowly increase it if needed to no more than 4 (which would be 40 mg).

It turns out that the prescription was filled for 100 mg per tablet, which I took one of the first night.  I slept OK, but something didn't seem right - and I remember talking about how low the dosage would be and that it is used in higher doses to treat depression.

My husband returned to the pharmacy the next day and YES, it had been filled incorrectly - the pharmacist felt terrible and they gave us a refund as well as a $25 gift card to CVS.  Nice gesture right??

I didn't think much of it until my GP upon hearing the story told me that it could have been fatal if I had taken the 400mg or higher per night.

This certainly was a wake-up call for us - and now I research any prescription to make sure it has been filled correctly before taking it.

So please, everyone, be aware of what you are taking - I think you can research anything on the internet and it will even show a photograph of what the actual pill should look like and say on it.

[Heather3418]

You bring up a good point.  It's a wonder that pharmacists don't make more mistakes than they actually do, considering the horrid writing that most physicians seem to learn in medical school.  Like the sloppier you write, the better a physician you are.

I ALWAYS check any prescription I get, whenever I have it filled.  Even if it's a pill that I have been using for years.  

Thank's for bringing up this very important subject.  It's something that we can easily overlook.  Pharmacists are people just like us.  They can and they do make mistakes.  I think that CVS handled this correctly and thank god you were not exposed to a dose that would have harmed you.  

Heather

[nikki861]

Heather, this is a very good and important point you bring up. I ALWAYS check my scripts. Mostly because I hate taking med. I have a fear of mixing. Yesterday when my neuro added those 2 new meds, I dropped them off and hubby picked up on way home for me. I read the inserts and then called pharm. at Rite Aid. Since I fill all my scripts at the same place, I wanted to check on something I read in the insert. She told me it was good that I had checked, but all was alright. She did tell me that the first time I have to take the Axert for migraine, not to be alone. Take it and go to someone's house and lie down until you know how it will affect you. She said normally they make you take one at docs office and monitor how you react to it.
So it is a good idea to check all meds fully.

Beth