OK, I often get very long winded so I will try to keep this short.

People, no matter how diligent, make mistakes now and then. That includes the people that fill our prescriptions.

I recently discovered that one of my scripts had two very similar but different pills in the bottle. They looked very much alike. Same color, shape, etc. but some were just a tad bit smaller than the others.

No telling how long I had been taking the "wrong" pills that were in the bottle before I noticed the difference.

I took my magnifying glass and went online to identify the pill that was smaller and it was NOT anything prescribed for me. The other pills in the bottle that were larger WERE the correct medicine.

I took them to the pharmacy and alerted them to the error.

The purpose of the thread is to alert members to check your meds when you have them filled EVERY time. Thankfully, this was not a fatal mistake but in some cases, it might very well be fatal. It is a SERIOUS mistake no matter what.

Not only had I been taking something that was NOT prescribed for me, I was also NOT getting the medicine that WAS prescribed for me.

With so many drugs on the market, so many different generics, so many different manufacturers, mistakes can and do happen.

NO, I have NOT changed pharmacies as a result of the mishap, because over my life, every pharmacy has made some mistake at some point in time. They are human. I will continue to have my prescriptions filled there but I will be more careful and check them each time I get any scripts dispensed by the pharmacy that are not in the manufacturers packaging.

I believe these mistakes are not common but it is worth our time to check.



Some mistakes are more serious than others so just be sure you check your meds.

Thanks Hopeless - a useful warning.

Mistakes can occur with not only the type of medication but also the dose. When I was discharged from hospital after initial diagnosis, the hospital pharmacy incorrectly labeled one of my new medications to be taken at double the dose recorded on my discharge report. I had to go back to the hospital and waited 2 hrs for them to sort out the mistake. As I wasn't scheduled to see the endocrinologist until a month later for a follow-up it may have had serious effects if I'd followed the instructions on the bottle.

Although a hassle to go through at a time when I was unwell it was a lesson well learned.