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Avatar universal

Received too many pain pills

Need your opinion on how to handle this dilemma! I just picked up my Fentanyl 50 patches and my Percocet 10/325's and got home and opened the bag and realized that they had given me a HUGE bottle of my oxy's. I poured them out and instead of them giving me 45 Percocet's they gave me 145. It's too late to call them tonight so I'll call them tomorrow but need to know should I also notify my PM Dr. of the error. I don't want to get my pharmacist into any trouble and I don't want to get into any trouble (even thou I have done NOTHING wrong) it still worries me.  What would be the best way to handle this.

Please give me any thoughts and advice you may have in how to proceed.

Thanks...Sherry
Best Answer
Avatar universal
I'm also quite surprised that the error was not caught at the pharmacy level.  I've used CVS many, many times (recently changed to a local pharmacy since I've moved and CVS is not near me anymore) and every time I've ever gotten any narcotic filled, not only did the pharmacy or tech fill the prescription, but then there was also a second person who double checked the prescription before it was passed on to be given to the patient.  I always presumed that this was normal procedure, especially when dealing with narcotics.

When you take them back to the pharmacy, if you still have it, take along the bag that they gave it to you in, as well as all the associated paperwork such as the medication information, etc. On the top of that paper is usually also the quanity, name, dosing instructions, etc., so they will be able to compare that with what is on the label of the bottle.  The both may say the same things, but it will help to show them that apparently there was a DEFINITIVE counting error!!!  By all means take the bottle into the pharmacy - if they have any doubts/questions that the medication actually came from their pharmacy, they can look at the pills and see that they are in fact the type they carry.  

I'm also very surprised that this error was not caught before now by them..  I don't know how often they do an actual pill count of their narcotics (or other medications for that matter), but you would think that with that big of a discrepency, if there had been a pill count done at the end of the day, action of some sort would definitely have been done - even to the point of calling all patients who had had that type of medication filled recently.  I have a feeling someone is going to be losing their job over this one!!!

Yes, I think it's quite all right to call your doctor before calling the pharmacy, especially since you can't get to the pharmacy right away.  You can tell your doc that you are planning on going to the pharmacy and returning the pills, but you wanted him to know wht happened and that you were definitely taking care of it.  You may also want to ask him if he'd like you to bring a copy of the receipt of return to him showing him that you actually did return the overage.

All this goes to show you that we, as patients, can't just idly take what our physicians and even pharmacists tell us without doing research and double checking things ourselves.  We all need to be proactive in our own healthcare.

I hate to think about what might have happened had you not noticed this drastic error and been so honest about it. If your pain doc suddenly requested to do a pill count and found all those extra pills in your possession, it could have very well been a very bad situation.

One last thing you may want to do before you return the extra pills to CVS - take a look at each individual pill and make sure they all ARE oxy's - make sure that whatever imprint is on them matches on all of them (I know on my CVS bottles, it gives a little description on the side of the bottle of what the medication should look like and what any imprints say on them) -- I'm suggesting this just in case it wasn't a simple case of incorrect counting and rather a case of whoever was filling the script had more than one script going at the same time (alos a big mistake) and put two different medications in the same bottle.

If, by any chance, your CVS does not put that little description on the side of their bottles, you can go to www.drugs.com and click on their link that says "Pill Identifier" - there you can enter the color, shape and any imprints that are found on the pills and it will tell you what they are.

Let us know how things go.
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Avatar universal
Honesty is always best! You Pharmacist is responsible, like it or not
Helpful - 0
547368 tn?1440541785
In my state the pharmacies will take back medications, at least opiates but for disposal purposes only. As said above they must be counted and disposed of under DEA regulations. This does include a second professional verification of the count and proper method of disposal.  

Because this pharmacy made an error they were forced to accept the medications. It may have been a different story had it not been their mistake.

~Tuck
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Avatar universal
Hi Sandee,

I'm guessing that they were destroyed.  When she "straightened out the error" she reached under her work station and pulled out something that she "scooped" the pills into, possibly a tray of some sort. Maybe something that they put pills into that have fallen on the floor, may be. I'm sure they probably have to count the pills that are destroyed also so that they have an exact count of meds.

Thank you for responding and the kind words.

Take care....Sherry
Helpful - 0
356518 tn?1322263642
I am also late to the conversation here but I wanted to say that I am completely surprised that the pharmacy took back the pills as this is against FDA regulations. They can not take back any medication that has left the pharmacy. They apparently just took them back and then disposed of them with witness' that they were properly disposed of.
I too congratulate you for your honesty. It is  just too rare today unfortunately.
The DEA does allow for doctors to prescibe two or more scheduled drugs for pain. As we all know most of us take an extended release formula's as well as a breakthrough medicine.
I know there is information concerning this on the Dea's website. I will locate it if anyone wants:)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
They are required by law to hand caount them and then a second person must verify by counting as well. Lastly they both have to sign a controlled substance 'blue' form as some call it. That is filed with the DEA with your name to ensure you are not A) Getting too large of a perscription and B) You aren't recieving another dose from a different Doctor and Paramacy.  I don't know what mg your taking, but I read they sell for $1 a mg on the street.   I use CVS here for years and do not like them at all. The staff is great but here they are the only 24 hr one around.  I have discovered shortages on two prescriptions in the past. One was a pain med they shorted by half.  The other thing to check with them is billing. My plan is $5 for genetics and upto $25 for none (depending on thier price).   They were always charging me like $8 or $12.50.  I called my insurance and found the would submit the $5 charge and keep the rest of the money.  I don't know if it was a rip off by the cashier or store instructred. I got the name & number of the District Manager and complained on two occassions. It then stopped.  I always do a guick glance at each of the bottles before walking away.  They are opening a Walgreens next door as soon as consruction finishes. Can't wait to switch.  Here is the funny part, for 22 years I have worked for some of the best retailers as a Loss Prevention executive (investigate, resolve and prosecute employee theft) An accident left my left leg paralyzed last year.  I was fairly well known in the industry but apparently CVS had not heard of my 'retirement' due to my disability and younger age.  They called me last month and offered me thier Regional Manager position for this NE area.  Obviously I could not accept and graciously turned them down.  But something tells me it would have been a very hectic position.   lol.
Helpful - 0
910419 tn?1289483727
I'm obviously very late to the party, but I just wanted to compliment you on your honesty. It would have been very easy to just keep the pills and either save them for later, or even sell them. What you did was awesome.

Go you!

~Dame
Helpful - 0
547368 tn?1440541785
I haven't commented on the actual error that the pharmacy made in your instance. Obviously even pharmacy staff are human and errors do occur.

In my area (I use Walgreen's) they no longer "count" the pills, tablets or whatever form the medication may be. They weight them. They tell the "scale" how many is prescribed, say 45 Oxycontin's and the scale weighs them out to the exact amount.

I found this simply amazing....but than I guess it doesn't take much to impress me. :)

One of the reasons this is done is to avoid errors. So if this pharmacy has the latest equipment the number had to be placed in the scale wrong. It was my understanding that the label was actually printed from the scale...again so errors are reduced so this error just does not make sense, unless the pharmacy actually counts the tablets and they were just counted wrong.

The tablets that you returned had to be destroyed. It's the law. Once they leave the pharmacy they cannot put them back into stock. So no matter how quite you tried to make the error the manager and the DEA would ultimately have to know. A strict count must be kept and all narcotics must be accounted for.

Hey I tell my body every day that it is only 30....it hasn't worked real well for me...but my crazy mind beleives it!!  :)  
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Avatar universal
Hi Sherry!

Hey, if you find that it works talking to your body and telling it that it's not allowed to feel as old as it usually does, PLEASE let me know and I'll most definitely try that!!  LOL   Oh if it were only that easy, huh?!

I'm sorry it took me a while to get back on here to answer the question you had for me.  My great niece is in town for a few days (at my mom's house), so I've been visiting with her (she just turned 4).  So my computer time has been a bit limited.

Anyway- you wanted to know what joint replacement I had.  I had my right shoulder replaced in September 2008.  After surgery the surgeon told me that my shoulder was one of the worse looking shoulders that he has ever seen - I said, gee thanks!  LOL  I did quite well with the surgery for a while afterward, but unfortunately, I've been having more and more troubles with it over the past few months so we're in the process of scheduling several tests to see if we can figure out what's going on.  A couple of his ideas of what it could be are either a torn rotator cuff now (can't figure out  how I could have done that), the prosthesis could be slipping in the joint, or possibly even an infection in the prosthesis.  Anyway, hopefully we can figure it all out soon and avoid further surgery on that shoulder.

I've also already been told that I'll be needing to either have knee replacement done on both of my knees or have knee fusions done - within the next year or less.  The reason they are considering/leaning towards the fusions rather than the replacements is because I am only 46 - hoping to be able to avoid having to redo them later on.  As for me, I'm leaning quite a bit more toward the replacements than the fusions, simply because I cannot imagine never again being able to bend my knees.  I think it would be bad enough to not be able to bend ONE knee, but cannot fathom how it would be to not be able to bend either knee.  Would be a total and complete lifestyle change - no more driving, absolutely no stairs (I avoid them as much as possible now because of pain when doing them), completely changing the way I walk (which I'm also afraid will accelerate the arthritic changes in my hips).  I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet - and am trying to postpone any type of surgery for as long as I can.  However, it is getting harder and harder for me to get around and I also don't want to end up having to go into a wheelchair, so it might be better to get at least one knee replaced now and have the other one done a while after that.

I'm sorry to hear you're having so many problems with your hip and that they messed up your second surgery so badly!!  What do they plan on doing to fix it?

Gentle hugs,
Robyn
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Tuck,

Thanks so much for your kind words, I really appreciate them.

When I had to take my 1/2 Oxy this afternoon for BT pain (I'm learning my abbreviations..LOL) I told my body what you said that 64 is the new 44 and that means from now on it is to only feel like it's 60. :)   We'll see if it listens to me.

Thank you again so very much. Hope your evening is as pain free as it can be....Sherry
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Brenndy,

It is frightening to know how often this occurs with the different pharmacies. Which pharmacy were you with when it happened to you? I was the most surprised by the large amount of the overage and the fact that it was Oxy's. I would have thought that they would have been EXTREMELY careful with them.

I have know idea about what the DEA regulations are concerning Schedule II medications. I do know that there are a lot of people on here that have 2 Schedule II meds. Many have Oxycontin as their ER med and Oxycodone as their BT med. In my case it's the Fentanyl  50 mcg patches for ER and Oxycodone for my BT meds. It's all totally legal so the only thing I can think of is that possibly they have changed their regulations. I know that I have read on here about how the Fentanyl Patch used to be allowed only for cancer patients and now that has changed.

Maybe you could post that as a question because I would love to know the answer to that. I bet a lot of people on here would.

I hope that you were able to get your mix-up at the pharmacy resolved as easily as I was.

Thank you for answering my post. I'm looking forward to hearing about your experience.

Take care..Sherry
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
That's quite a story.  Most unfortunately, I cannot say I am surprised at such a huge, potentially fatal error.  A similar situation happened to me a few months ago.  When I discussed it with the prescribing physician, he told me it "happens all the time."  Sorry to say, but the buyer beware phrase applies even here.

An even bigger part of your post that caught my attention was that you are being prescribed two Schedule II medications simultaneously.  I thought the DEA regulatory commission encompassed the 50 states.  Am I wrong here.....anyone??
Helpful - 0
547368 tn?1440541785
I am late to this discussion so please excuse my tardiness. I could not miss the opportunity to say great job.

We hear so many horror stories on our forum that it is heart warming to hear a such a good one with a wonderfully happy ending. As Molly said so well, everyone wins. That is not the usual.

You have proven once again that honesty is always the best policy.  I want to thank you for sharing this with us. Hey girl, sixty four is still young, it is the new forty four. So though your body may feel like eighty your heart is young and golden.

Again thank you.

My Best to You,
~Tuck
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I know exactly what you mean. I needed my first hip implant when I was 28 years old but they had me wait as long as I could because the joints weren't developed enough and I would have had to have it redone 3 times before I was 60 years old. So I waited until I was 35 years old and it lasted until 2006, 26 years.  I had it replaced again and this time they did a VERY BAD job and the pins didn't go into the bone the way that they should and went at an angle into the MUSCLE. OUCH!!! I'm having an MRI done this Friday to see what damage if any has been done to the muscles and also to see if it is still secure. What did you have replaced? And how is it doing?

Hope you feel better soon...Sherry
Helpful - 0
535089 tn?1400673519
Good job.......Everyone wins here !!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'll trade ya - I'm only 46 and most days I feel like I'm in the body of a 90 year old!!  And my xrays agree with me!  I have the severely arthritic joints of someone in their 80's or 90's - have already had one joint replaced 1 1/2 years ago and am looking at both knees having to be done in the very near future - either that or go to a wheelchair and I'm definitely not ready for that!!

I'm glad everything worked out so well and also that you've found a great pharmacist that you can depend on and talk to.  It definitely helps.  It's a shame - you would think that by my switching my scripts to a much smaller, local pharmacy near where I now live that I would have a close relationship with the pharmacist, but I've found that I had a much better, closer relationship with the pharmacist at the CVS that I used to use in my old town.  It could be that it'll just take some time for me and the pharmacist to get to know one another, but I don't know.  I could switch my scripts back to CVS, but it's a minimum 1/2 hour drive to the old pharmacy and there are many times when I absolutey HAVE to get to the pharmacy, but I also absolutely DO NOT feel up to driving (or even riding if someone else drove) that far to get my meds.  I also don't want it to seem like I'm pharmacy hopping.  I was with CVS for 6 1/2 years since I moved to VA from PA and just transferred my scripts after I moved last September.  The good news is that I hear they are talking and thinking about building a brand new CVS not far from my new home - if they do end up doing that, I'll definitely transfer my scripts back to CVS, especially if they make it a 24 hour CVS like the one I used to use -- made it VERY convenient!  That's another drawback to the pharmacy I use now - their hours are relatively limited (they close by 6 during the week and at either 2 or 3 on Saturday and are closed Sundays).  Oh well.

Again, I'm glad that things worked out so well and that you had such a positive experience not only with teh pharmacy, but also your doctor's office.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Here's an update on what's happened.

I called my Dr. at 7:15 am and he was in a procedure so his assistant called me back at about 8:30am and thanked me for being such an honest person and offered to call CVS for me and let them know that I would be in before noon. I accepted her offer since I had such a busy morning. I asked her to ask for the Pharmacist that had filled the prescription since she is such a nice person and I didn't want her to get into trouble. My Dr's asst. and I agreed that this was an honest mistake no need to change pharmacies, unless something like this happens again.  Besides I had JUST changed to CVS from Walgreen's where I had been a customer for 30 YEARS!!. I changed because we moved to Arizona from Tennessee 10 months ago and here in Arizona (as well as in Florida) Walgreen's doesn't fill their prescriptions in the local pharmacies they send them out to be filled and i don't like that because you don't have a relationship with a local Pharmacist that way. I have over 16 prescriptions a month that I HAVE to have to keep me Kickin'. :) You know for Heart, etc. Up until today I hadn't really established as yet a personal relationship with any one particular Pharmacist. Because of this I now have a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with one. I went in and went back to where you pick up the prescriptions and the Pharmacist that had filled this was there and recognized me and IMMEDIATELY went back and THANKED ME PROFUSELY and told me that she would have been in TERRIBLE trouble. Thanked me for having them ask for her and she was WHISPERING this to me. She QUICKLY went back and straightened out the error and gave me my 45 Oxy's and a receipt AND said she would also call the Dr. for me to let them know that these had been returned. I looked up and there was her DISTRICT MANAGER in starting a PILL COUNT!!!!!! She said it might have cost her her job!! I NOW have a Pharmacist that I can ask anything of and if she can do it she will. So because of this and the way that I handled it (THANKS TO ALL OF YOUR GOOD ADVICE) I have now established a VERY GOOD relationship with a CVA Pharmacist).  

Plus my Dr. knows that I'm an honest person. However, I think I already had that reputation with him. When I went in to my appointment on Monday ( two days ago) I asked to use the bathroom and went they said of course, and I did and when I got thru they immediately called my name for my appointment and they need a URINE SAMPLE. Wouldn't have been a problem except I had just gone. I volunteered to do a blood test and she said no. His nurse was going to bring me something to drink so I could do a sample, but I waited and waited and she never came back in. Instead my Dr. came in and I said that she had not brought in anything for me to drink and offered again to do a blood test and he said "no reason at all to do that I just need a sample so we can document it for the DEA and WE CAN DO IT NEXT MONTH!!!! So I guess if you are at least in your 60's and wear the expensive ($500.00) orthopedic shoes with the inserts and have all of the documentation fo your health problems a urine test isn't a problem and you even get 30 DAY NOTICE!!!!

The only down side to that is that you are an almost 64 year old woman in a body that feels like it is 80 YEARS OLD!!! LOL

Thanks again for ALL of your help and QUICK responses and KIND words.

Hope you all have as good a result as I have today. Jamie especially you with your problems today. Best of luck and let us know what happens.
Helpful - 0
535089 tn?1400673519
Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy. They would have eventually caught their mistake. There are ppl that wouldn't even consider taking it back. I'm glad that you are or did.

My best,
Molly
Helpful - 0
1298907 tn?1272886488
I pretty much agree with Jamie & Robyn on this one. And yes, thank you for your honesty; it definitely helps all of us suffering w/ CP that there ARE compliant patients w/ REAL issues out there who simply need to be treated for their pain.
Just something to think about as well... I do understand that everyone makes mistakes but it sounds like CVS has been having more than just a mistake here & there. Granted this time you received MORE than what you were supposed to so you are ok as far as having what you need as prescribed by your doctor, but just as easily as they miscounted & caused an OVERAGE they could've miscounted & caused you to be short as well. And I'm just not so sure that they'd be as grateful (as I'm sure they will be this time for you being honest) to you for bringing it to their attention if it were the other way around. I would be willing to bet that they'd be more likely to assume that you had taken the pills & were just trying to get more. It's a shame but that is what pain patients have to deal with nowadays what with the DEA coming down so hard on docs & pharms as far as narcotics are concerned.
I'd just suggest that you definitely get proof from the pharmacy of this incident & the date/time you returned the pills so if for any reason it happens again in the future you at least have documentation of your honesty/compliance. I would also most definitely let my PMP know about this. You may want to give them another chance but I might would consider switching pharmacies. I use Walgreens & they always count the meds twice & then have the pharmacist sign off on the quantity on the bottle. I don't know how you feel about this but it would make me very nervous about continuing to use that oharmacy in the future.
Once again I commend you for your honesty, I'm sure everyone else here appreciates it as well, we already have to deal with so much just to be treated properly & live normal lives.
Take care & God bless...
KM
Helpful - 0
1187071 tn?1279369698
I know where I live in Ohio CVS has been messing up ALOT. A couple of months ago they give a kid a very strong pain med when that wasn't even what he was suppose to get. The mother took it back and thank goodness she never gave it to him. It could of been deadly. A alittle while later the same thing happen again. So CVS is being watched alot now. I would do what Robyn said to take them back and have them give you something showing you took it back so you don't get into trouble with your pain dr. You know alot of people would just keep them and not even say a word, so i want to say thank you for wanting to give them back. We really need more people like you so people like us can get our pain treated without having to prove  that we are not drug seekers or dealers just to get our meds.
Jamie
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi Robyn,

I personally hand carried the computer generated prescription to the pharmacy so I know that there was a mistake by the pharmacy. The interesting thing is though that the prescription label on the bottle ALSO says 45 pills NOT 145 so they made a mistake in calculating when they counted them out I just can't for the life of me figure out what is going on. And this isn't some little mom and pop pharmacy either this is CVS and I sat there and WATCHED the pharmacist, herself, fill my prescription, not an assistant. For the life of me I can't figure out how they could make an error this HUGE.

I don't know about the pharmacies where you are, but here in Arizona we have some pharmacies that DON'T even carry controlled substances like Fentanyl and Oxycodone.
Therefore, I would think that they would have noticed an error like that immediately. I can't believe that someone could make this type of error on Oxy's. Actually I can't believe that they would make it on ANY type of UNCONTROLLED medication either. They even looked at the label when they had me sign for them.

Thanks for the advice, I can't go in until 10:00 this morning because an appraiser is coming to the house at 9:00 and I have to get my autistic granddaughter off to school before that, but IMMEDIATELY after that I'm going to go in. You know since I have to wait that long, I may call the Dr. first. Do you think that would be alright to reverse the order? Or should I definitely contact the pharmacy first?

Thanks---Sherry


Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I would first contact the pharmacy (probably best to even go in in person with the bottle) and have them double check the prescription that they have from the doctor - all pharmacies scan the prescriptions, so they will be able to look at an exact copy of the prescription - just in case by some chance, for some reason, your doctor actually prescribed that many!!  I can't imagine why, but things do happen, even with doctors!!!  If you find that yes, this was a pharmacy error, be sure and not only give them back the overage (could even ask them to give you a "receipt" for them showing that you returned an unprescribed overage of them) and then I would also definitely call your PM doc and tell them what happened and that you have already returned them to the pharmacy and have a receipt for their return.  This will tell your PM doc that not only did you become aware of the error, but you took immediate action to resolve it and returned any pills that were not prescribed.

Even if you find that the doctor DID prescribe that many, you may want to put a call into him just to ask him if there was a reasoning for that - was he wanting you to increase your dose and "forgot" to tell you or was he just trying to extend the time period between your refills on it?  Again, this would show him that you're taking an active role in keeping track of your medications and taking steps to notify him ANYTIME there is  a problem/question about your medication.  Again, even if he did prescribe that many, it would have been an error on his part.  If that ends up being the case, he may request that you either bring the overage of pills into his office or return them to the pharmacy anyway - so don't be alarmed or surprised if that happens.

Best of luck!

--Robyn
Helpful - 0
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