My Pharmacist Gave me the Wrong Prescription!

Unfortunately, sometimes pharmacists make mistakes and the wrong prescription ends up in the wrong hands. When this happens, the victim can end up with serious side effects.  In some cases, the wrong prescription can even be deadly.

Check Your Medication

There are a number of ways to avoid getting the wrong medicine from the pharmacy:

1. Choose a pharmacy with safeguards. The pharmacy should ask you to identify yourself with two pieces of information. If it doesn’t, provide the information yourself and have the person check.
2. Double-check your medications when you get them. Write down the name of the medication and check it against the bottle when you receive it.
3. If the name of the medication is different, it might be a generic. Make sure this is the case.
4. Know why you take your medication. Don’t hesitate to confirm with the pharmacist the purpose of the medication she provided.
5. Look at the appearance of the medication.  If the prescription is new or the medication looks different, ask questions. Check a website that shows pill appearance.
6. If you have any doubts, ask.

The majority of mistakes can be caught at the pharmacy if the patient checks before she leaves. It is your (or your loved one’s) life make sure you catch any mistake before it becomes a problem.

What if you Receive the Wrong Medication?

If you receive the wrong prescription, let the pharmacy know right away. If you took the medication, call your doctor and let him know immediately.  Tell him the name of the medication so he can determine if you might have a medical emergency. If you have a reaction, go to the ER immediately.

If you ever do receive the wrong prescription and suffer serious injuries as a result, please don’t hesitate to contact the Pennsylvania personal injury firm of Lowenthal & Abrams. Call us to tell us what happened to you or your loved one. We are here to help.