Have You Ever been Shorted meds at a Pharmacy?
 

Last Month for the first time ever I looked up my meds and each night took out exactly the amount needed for the next day and I new my med count was right.....well towards the end of the month I saw I was gonna be short 3 Kadian..my Valium and percocet were right on the money so since I have used CVS for year and never complained.......I thought (I could go in and talk to pharmacist and explain situation and the laughed in my faced and said they Never make mistakes....always had a double count....so I told them they just lost a **** of a customer and was switching to Walgreen s, and she just laughed again....rude as can be!
Well yesterday it was time to fill my percocet and I was on auto pilot and dropped it off at cvs before thinking...(had a very bad weekend, fall, babysitting two girls 8-9 so I was fried) and I picked them up went home and promply counted them (supposed to be 75) and guess how many was in the never make mistakes cvs??? 78 was how many!!!! How do you recommend I do with this info?? What do you think we can do?? Count with them???
Thanks in advance!!

that is really sad they treated you that way. not right at all. :mad:

we had a problem with dad's pd meds a few times. ( not at cvs ) the pharmacist was awesome. he admitted that they are human and that errors can and do happen. but he did say that on some meds his hands are tied if an error is made the customer has left with the rx. ( pain meds especially)

i would hate to think that you have to stand there and count the pills, but maybe if it was done once, they would wise up.

funny how they gave you 3 extra...when they shorted you that many before. woner if they were worried about an audit. ;)

Yeah but they shorted me 3 long acting 100mg morhine and gave me 3 10mg percocet!!!:mad:

dang junie. i didn't catch that part. what about contacitn their head courters or the store manager? they might be having a problem with not just your rx's.

I think you should complain, if for no other reason than that it might make a difference for someone else down the line.

I was shorted once on one of my meds, but since I didn't catch the mistake until a few days later, I never bothered to complain. I just took less than I was supposed to for a few days to make up the difference. Ever since then I've felt bad that I never said anything to the pharmacist about it.

It's so easy to get yourself labeled when you complain about your narcotics, even when you're in the right. One time my doc accidentally prescribed me a twenty-five day supply intead of the usual thirty. He wrote out a hundred, and I was taking them four times a day. When I showed up back at the office twenty-five days later, I was given a lecture on narcotic addiction, along with a hefty amount of paperwork. It took a lot of work to get that corrected in my file.

I have decided to take my new script and old one and raise hell since I was the one that suffered taking one Kadian a day rather then two and maybe get that rude witch in trouble if possible!

yes, meds can be
 

shorted. And they can be over as well.

For meds other than CII (like Kadian) many larger chains use a counting
machine. These are totally inaccurate over time. I have had many battles
with these machines. So if you hear and see one in your pharmacy, you
should count ALL of your meds on a routine basis. These machines most often OVERcount however, than under. It has to do with the calibration screws coming loose and letting more pills thru past the laser, rather than the reverse of shorting. (This of course leads to loss of revenue for the pharmacy).

For controls including CII almost every pharmacy now has double count rules, in place. The volume of RXs keeps going up everywhere, and haste is usually
the cause of a miscount.

For CII's especially pharmacies keep a daily LOG (called a perpetual inventory) and fill in the blanks for every
RX (some Mom and Pop ones do not). These logs are typically tallied at the
end of every month(some at the end of the week) However, I have seen some stores, those with especially high volumes of opiates keep a running count right on the BOTTLE. That is as the RX is filled, the bottle remaining itself is counted, to see if the tallies match. This is the best way, but also the most time consuming.

Employees can be dishonest. Techs come and go, and new help is untested for several months. One really does not know who the employee really is when first hired.
For this reason, you should bring up your short count with the pharmacist.
Many stores require tech initials right on the bottle now, for this reason.
Scarfing a few from each RX is a type of pilfering, and needs to be caught, if it is intentional.

Drugs like Kadian are not fast movers, like Vicodin. Errors with it can be caught quickly, and should show up on the daily log. High volume items are
harder to track, and much more easily diverted by employees.

It is always possible to request a count right at the counseling window.
Expect to be watched closely however, because customers as well as employees have ways of scamming when CII's are involved. This is not a reflection on you per se, but the climate today in our culture.

People are human, they get interrupted while working and can lose concentration, and they can be dishonest. So there are many factors.
If your pharmacy keeps a LOG carefully, and you bring this matter up, and they find an overage they will most likely give you what you are shorted.
However, I have seen "shorts" involving controls, not corrected for customers.
It all depends on the pharmacist, policy of chains, and the situation. If you get an OVERAGE, you cannot return them, as drugs are
not returnable. But I would let them know, so if their log is off they won't blame innocent employees. If you are OVER you can
offer to be shorted 3 next time when you get your next fill. (this will bring the log back to normal), but you don't have to offer that, and they most likely will not suggest it. (It will be considered an "error" not a internal theft).

Non controlled items are often given without questions. But because of strict inventory requirements CIIs are handled somewhat differently. Some chains even have security people come in weekly to check the logs and count the contents of the remaining bottles, now.
Oxycontin is the usual target, but I have seen Adderall get spot checked as well.

One of the biggest diversions I have ever seen occurred at a Mom and Pop, by a male tech,BTW. For now, insist on counting at the counter, before you leave. Your file will probably be flagged and a triple count will be done on your order. And the staff will be alerted to a possibly dishonest employee.

Hi,
I was highly insulted the way she implied there was no way they could make a mistake and that there must be funny business going on at my house!!! In over 5 years I have never complained even when I suspected but this time I knew the added precautions I took so felt justified in bringing this to their attention! I guess I just want my name cleared somehow and want this rude woman punished!

personalities....
 

I find many types like you describe now in pharmacy. This is due to many factors. The excessive theoretical bias in schools now, select against those with helpful personalities. Only the "nerds" can handle the school work anymore.

The same is happening with doctors.

Also, there is a huge upward trend in Rx volume per day. It is reaching
epidemic stress levels. People cannot handle problems every 30 seconds or so...they burn out...even if they had good intentions to begin with.
I just got an Email from Medscape on this problem.

Think of yourself faced with 300+ problems daily... all different. Few can remain
helpful anymore. There is just not time.

If you are insulted.. complain to management--via the main # provided by the store you visit. Often they will give you a gift certificate to use for other merchanize. But don't expect any changes...there is a shortage of pharmacists now due to poor working conditions. At least you can move on and use the $20 as a bandaid.

I am not making excuses, but that is just the way it is today. I left retail, because of it.

I can and have taken insults and just walked away and being a nurse for 15 years and a waitress for 15 years I know how to deal with people....but that 3 pill shortage put me in hell for three days since I decided to just take 1 a day for the last days and I was in complete misery and when working with sick people there is never a good excuse for rudeness....and I am lucky enough to have been on both sides!:)

here is an example:
 

i am so mad....
 

I have been taking perocet 10 for 3 years now and am on 84 every 3 weeks well i went up to my local walgreens which i never gotten my pain meds filled at that one before but i have filled my other meds there and never had a problem, i really have not ever had a problem filling my meds where i usually get them filled well i went there picked them up came home open up the stabled bag and open the bottle to get my daily meds fixed on (YOU KNOW THEM BOXES BY THE WEEK) any way the bottle seemed that there was not 84 in them so i counted and counted and guess what i counted again and i only counted 60 yeah i got shorted 24 that to me is a week of freaking alot of pain,,,i called up to the pharmacy knowing that i felt damn if i do damn if i don't cause you know how people get treating anyway,,cause no one knows what kind of hell is my pain,,she only took 30 seconds came back on phone and said well our inventory is right, well something is wrong cause now i am short 24 and someone there either has them or something is wrong. She said i can not do anything about it,oh my god i felt like a total crazed woman you feel likeif you make a big deal then you look like a seeker but i am not a seeker i am a comsumer in pain and now very upset. How do you even win this battle yes i know never go there again but there is still the fact that someone there either pocketed them or yes inverntory wrong, i called to talk to the manager like my husband said to he said you are in the right and i know i am but you all know how it feels really..they said there was no manager on duty, what do i do now,,,REALLY WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD DO, you can not fight the pharmacy THEY ARE RIGHT,,,so any suggestions?

I was going to the same pharmacy for many years at a chain store, even though the pharmacist there was never helpful and always grouchy. He would yell at co-workers, etc. I would NEVER ask this guy a question even if my life depended on it. I was always grateful when it was his day off and the "substitute" pharmacist was on. She was very helpful.

However, one day I got into a huge argument with the guy that worked there regularly (the grouchy one). I was asking for a medication that was formerly prescription only, but now OTC. He pitched a fit and in his own way, called me "stupid." I was very kind and tried to correct him, but he pitched a little fit again. Ironically, he was the one in error.

I called for the manager and ask to speak with him privately. While we were in the back office, lo and behold the pharmacist discovered I was right and he was wrong.

After that, I went to another location of the same chain. They were much nicer...more helpful. However, recently they have had to order some of my meds because they don't have the right strength on hand...they said they would do it...and they didn't do it. (Long story...bottom line...they are unorganized and goofy).

I've had more weird problems with this chain...so very recently I have picked up my meds at a mom and pop drug store. The hours aren't nearly as good, but other things are excellent. Very helpful, kind, fast service.

shorted, yes.

and extras as well.

usually not a problem, and fixed by the pharmacy, with little trouble.

the only *BAD* thing with my meds was that twice I was given someone ELSE's Rx.

a woman with the exact same name, and the same medicine.

but in a different dosage...

the only reason I noticed, is the pills were a bit larger.

so, I checked the receipt, and sure enough, I'd moved to the other side of town!

(Long's receipts at that time printed out name and address.)

I didn't even realize there was someone else with my name, in such a small town (3,000 people)

I raised Cain over it, and they groveled appropriately, and swore it'd never happen again.

four months later, guess what? so I took my business elsewhere.

Just for YOUR Information
 

If it were me?
 

I would e-mail the company headquarters and indicate that this has happened frequently. That way the main office can put a 'watch' on the staffs. This sounds like a horrible thing to even think of, but with many costly or restricted medications this is important to do. It can protect you, and also the pharmacy overall from drug abuse [either using or selling the shorted meds] by the pharmacist or a whole slew of possible other issues, such as incorrect prescriptions.
I say this only because I knew of a pharmacist who became addicted and, needless to say it affected their work, not to mention a loss of license.
It's sad that we have to be 'tattle tales' at times, but one mistake...well OK, more than one seems to be signs of a problem. One at your expense!
I must caution tho? Some pharmacies have 'restrictions' in terms of how many 'days' they can dispense a med for [30, 60, 90 days] depending on the med, how the prescription is written and how the insurance company restricts this stuff. It IS one big hassle. Be patient and find out those limits and what you can do. Good luck?
Hope this helps! - j

Pharmacies are like the people working there.

Walgreens shorted me twenty Avinza. I had a "factory sealed" bottle of 100, but could not find the other twenty. I told the Pharmacist and they said there is nothing they can do.

In California, I am told, if you go get your Class II meds and are shorted, you cannot go back to get the rest. They legally cannot dispense them without a prescription and according to their records, my prescription had been filled. They told me they double count them, so an error by them is highly unlikely. I told their pharmacist about it and left the task to him, expecting some form of explanation. When I did not hear anything I called him and found the evening I spoke to him was his last day with Walgreens. Hmmm. He had quit to work closer to his home.

I called the regional manager of their stores and the regional mgr of their pharmacies. They thanked me and said they would investigate. I am reducing my use of Avinza, so I had some left over. If I had not, I would have been in trouble.

They said their log showed they gave me 100 in one bottle and twenty in another. I told them that was NOT correct. I also keep a log and I can tell them every dosage I had taken, the hour and minute and date and dosage. For over 500 days I kept that log, so we can compare logs. Walgreens only gave me more than one container of Avinza once. I went on a 3 month vacation. Otherwise, they combine the quantity into one container.

I told them if it happened again, I would go to the DEA and then read the phone number of the DEA agency in our city. I wanted to make sure they knew I meant it.

NOW I look for the pharmacist's initials and "count" number on each bottle. I take Oxycodone as well. It would not bother me at all to ask for a count while I watched.

I think the part that disturbs me the most is them telling me if we leave the pharmacy with our meds, that prescription is considered completed. The customer is out of luck. If it happens to me again, I will complain to DEA and the State Agencies who monitor pharmacies. I would think Corporate would take DEA complaints seriously.

Yes, Ive had the wrong number of pills many times. its best to count
them right there because if its pain meds, you are out of luck. I
also was once given trazadone instead of tramadol.:eek: Boy, I took
two of those and I was down for the count. Of course, i HAD to be
out of state at my mil:rolleyes:.

Good luck, you should not have been treated that way.

Sox

I agree. I know it's a hassle and if you have alot of prescriptions it can take a while but once they know you're checking they might get "better" at math and give you the correct number of pills the first time.

It's just like going to the bank...if I cash a check for $90 and they give it to me in $1's you'd better believe I'm counting it before moving from the teller's window or driving away from the drive-thru.

If anyone gets offended too bad - you're just protecting yourself. Who else is going to?

Second time i have been shorted on Allegra refill at Walgreens
 

I am surprised that there are not more complaints. My son takes Allegra (fexofenadine HCL) and has 30 day prescriptions for twice a day. The prescription is clearly labeled for Quantity of 60. I thought the first time this happened that instead of looking at Quantity, the pharmacist must have looked at dosage and overlooked "twice a day".

When I drove to pick-up my son's prescription, the pharmacist reponded
with a now familiar, and inflamatory phrase, "refill too early"! I have become accustomed to difference in depth of 30 and 60 pills in prescription bottles
of similar circumference so that i do not have to double count, but did not realize this until getting home last time. I was infuriated when pharmacist explained my two options:
1) wait 2 days to have prescription filled
2) pay full price (a difference of only $20), wait for Pharmacy manager
to come in (also on Tuesday) to count remaining pills in pharmacy
to determine a shortage and my $20 would be refunded at that time.

My son has asthma, and this is middle of allergy season for him
(he is allergic to tree pollen). I also had no reason to believe that
pharmacy manager would count pills and rule in my favor.
This is second time this has happened in a year.

I do not know what controls are in-place, and what i could do to keep
from happening again. I suppose i could always request a double count,
but pharmacist refered to light-gun. Can they not go back and determine precisely how many pills they counted for last prescription
(whether 30 or 60)?

What controls are in place to prevent pharmacists from counting 30
and charging patients or insurance company for 60?

I find myself in position of proving my innocence and understand that i could
have dropped the pills, sold them, or could even be hoarding them.

Is there any other recourse, but for me to always request recount,
which 80% of time will make me appear to be just being difficult?

Insurance company has allowed us to request "Medical-Loss Override",
and may now be suspicious that shortages could be deliberate. They may
investigate. I just wish that existing controls would prevent from ever happening. It seems that great expense and effort is wasted on controls
that are currently ineffective ;-/

But thank you for providing this forum. Understanding goes a long way
to relieving frustration. I have already added to favorites ;-)
:grouphug:

If
 

If your label says 60 and there are 30 inside.... there are two reasons...

1) a mistake
2) they were out of stock and should give you an owe slip.

If the RX said 60 and you got 30 and 30 is typed on the label, then
there is an insurance problem.

Some insurances only allow so many days of Allegra per year (mine does this)
Once you go over that allotment, you have to pay for the balance.

If your pharmacy is constantly shorting you --- report them to the
board of pharmacy in your state. And/or call Corporate directly.

Don't they have record of quantity dispensed by automated dispensor?
 

I see automated dispensors. Are all medications dispensed first by automated dispensor - in which case they would have a record of number requested,
30 compare with quantity on bottle 60, and immediately reconcile?

They perahaps should then have to manually count to ensure automated dispensor did not give too many - problem solved.

Unfortunately, Walgreens pharmacist is defensive, and i have been forced
to go somewhere else now that is not open 24 hours a day, but has much lower pharmacist turn-over. They have never shorted me (Costco).

Two shortages in one year = $60 overcharge to insurance, and $40 overcharge to me. I can not overlook possibilty that this is intentional.
There appear to be no controls in place to prevent :mad:

Hi Tarl,

I see that you're a new member.....welcome to NeuroTalk! I copied your first post over to our New Members Forum so you could be properly welcomed. Glad you found the site!!

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/k...acewelcome.jpg

automated counters...
 

The large machines like RiteAid uses....called ScripPro
Those have a laser sensor and when the calibration key loosens with vibration,
those tend to OVERCOUNT Rxs. Hence the pharmacy loses money. The pills will fall thru the opening in twos or threes and be counted as one by the laser. (and I may add that people rarely call back to say they got over the stated amount. Perhaps only 10% in my experience notify the pharmacy of an overage)

Tabletop counters also may overcount, since they use light also.
However the Baker units may undercount. (they do not use lasers, and are pretty old fashioned and I haven't seen them recently in stores for this reason.
They make alot of drug dust and cause OSHA issues.

I have never seen a modern machine robot counter UNDERcount.

There are dishonet people in this world...however, pharmacists are less common.
The techs however, are often dishonest.
If and this is a big IF something dishonest is going on there, and stealing is bigtime, then they would be doing something to conceal it. Stealing from customers is dangerous and rather stupid to hide their own stealing. Because obviously customers notice and draw attention to the behavior. But it is possible.

You have to realize that the percentage of customers that lie to get what they want in pharmacies is very high. So over time pharmacists can get rather jaded. There is no excuse for "defensiveness" on the part of pharmacists however. Defensiveness suggests concealing of "something".

If you have that little vial that obviously cannot hold 60 tablets as appears on your label, I'd suggest you hold on to it, and call corporate headquarters and complain. Take a photo of it. On the bottle bottom is the size in drams printed on it. A 13 dr vial is obviously not going to hold 60 Allegra 180s.
Now, if it is only Allegra they are shorting you.... you need to call your insurance company and find out if Allegra benefits are limited. But if you are being shorted on other than Allegra, then you need to document and make a fuss. I sure would. We have a very liberal insurance and this limitation on Allegra caught me on vacation of all times. So I know it exists for others.
If you were limited this way, your label would read 30, not 60.

If something really bad is going on in that pharmacy, and corporate suspects it but cannot prove it yet, your complaint may be very crucial to getting it action there. So I really suggest you do that.

DO NOT complain further at the store local level. The manager may be part of any organized theft ring...and therefore
your complaint would be buried. (I have seen that happen! Trust me)

I suppose its always possible for anything to make mistakes, us or machines. However, CVS is all over the new in Atlanta area for making mistakes with giving out the wrong medicine and its not once in awhile. So, I would bring it to their attention, no matter what pharmacy it is that you use, so it can be corrected.

I use a local family owned pharmacy and any time they may not have enough of something to fill my script, they always let me know how many they owe me and when they will have it available. Also, if a pill changes form, they always call that to my attention so I will know that what I got was right but that it may have a different shape or color. This usually happens with generics.

National medication shortage blamed on manufacturing not meeting supply***not true***
 

ROXICODONE & OXYCODONE are unavailable in South Florida. They are non-existent for about a week now and this goes in cycles. I'd like to call the regulators the "DataEntryAssistants". Since myself and others in pain are just a statistic and deprived of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. They could care less of persons with long-term pain, pain that can't be fixed by surgery, Grandma's & Grandpa's that served our country and now suffering tremendously in their "Golden Years".

This is ridiculous. I am permanently disabled without the medication. I can't get out of bed, much less work.

These "controlled shortages" are becoming all to common. Patients have rights. When I can't get medication I can't work which trickles through my family. I lose my job, less food on the table, collect unemployment, fighting with my wife and irritated with everything, and I lose the little bit of joy I have left in my life.

The questions I will ask the DEA will be" What did I do for your agency to cut my medication off"? "Why is my family and I suffering, because you have have minded controls in place?". "What did my grandma of 92 who passed in May of 2008 do to hurt someone while in her death bed for many years".

I will bring this to the attention of Congress. There are thousands of people abusing, selling, stealing. But, do the millions of people in pain, be tortured because of the bad apples?

*edit*

Thank you, and God Bless All who are in pain, going through withdrawal with pain, or know someone in Pain because of not being able to get their necessary medication to manage their pain and attempt at a somewhat normal life.

mrsd may remember this, from a dif board, several years ago....
one member was so sick of being shorted that he invested in a postal scale, determined how much the full script and bottle should weigh and weighed, at the store, every time he picked up. if it was off, it had to be opened and counted.......

shorting pills
 

You should definitely notify the manager of the pharmacy department. When I first started having problems with chronic pain, I was shorted a few pills - I also have "boring" medications for colitis that no one would want to steal, and I found it significant that it was the pain meds that were short, not the others.... I decided to let it slide since I was dealing with so many other problems at the time. But from that point on I counted pills as soon as I got home and it happened 2 more times. I spoke with the manager of the pharmacy and told him in no uncertain terms that I suspected he had someone on his staff that was stealing medications either for themselves or for resale.
I can tell you that since that call I've never been short one pill ever again!

You need to report it - it is possibly a criminal activity! Rosa

I sEE ITS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE YOU POSTED THIS BUT THAT IS WHY I DO NOT GO TO wALLGREENS OR cvs. I use smaller pharms because they know me personally. Ive been told "oh we DO NOT CARRY this drug, with a smirk on her face, but while shopping I talked to another lady shopping there and she was filling the same drug! actually this was at winn dixie but wallgreens does treat me badly

Medication Shortage
 

Yes, I had a mom and pop pharmacy if my prescription was over 60 pills, many times they would give me like 37 pills or 42 pills. it got to the point that every time I had a prescription for over 60 pills I would get shorted my pills. My husband starting counting my pills and if I was short he would call the pharmacy and take my prescription over there and they would give us the pills that they shorted me on. This also happened to my friend who used the same pharmacy. Finally her and I both switched to Walgreens and I have never had a problem with my prescriptions being under counted.

Kate

First time I have ever been shorted....
 

I just started taking adderall and I went to the pharmacy on Friday to a "mom and pop" pharmacy and my script was for a 120 and they shorted me 20 pills. Of course they are closed on the weekend.... but I am just scared that when I call them tomorrow they are going to tell me to go to hell. It's my very first perscripton ever and how am I going to explain to my new dr that I have to get a early refill on a drug that he didn't want to give to me in the first place due to it being very addictive. And here I am sitting... if they dont correct the problem... I will already be out. And this is my thing... I have never taken this drug before. There is no damn way I could have taken that much. I took 20mg and that was enough for me. I am hoping since it was late Friday they can just count their supply and get the problem right. But knowing that I didn't count them right when I was there... I am prob just screwed out the of medication. I hear this is a commen problem with the techs taken pills... but I always thought that the pharmist counted them. I think that he was in such a hurry though that he just didn't count right. So what do I do if he won't give what is owed to me. I know I will not return to this pharmacy again... but how can you make a mistake and short someone 20 pills?? I can understand maybe one or two but twenty??? I made sure I faxed them first thing yesterday morning when I did count the meds....letting them know. We will see if the pharmacy is worth a crap!:mad:

reply
 

I can't remember ever being shortened, but it can be possible

medicine
 

i have a question about a medicine, is phentermine (diet pill) controled med.? im asking this because dinuba ca, wallgreens gave me 10 pills less, i dont know what to do! help please!!!:confused

Phentermine (fastin) is a controlled med in U.S.

I can't say what it's status is in Canada. You should go back to the pharmacy for an explanation. There may be a limit on days supply where you are, or they ran out and gave you an IOU. If an employee shorted you, then you need to report it so internally that can be fixed.

The amount of responses speak for themselves
 

I've learned to always check the actual amount I was suppose to get right on the spot (I use the drive through, but I check the quantity before ever leaving). On more than one occasion I've been shorted because they didn't have enough. The problem is, when it's a controlled substance, if you've been written 120 pills but they only have 65 pills on hand, the law requires that the doctor then writes a new script out. Then you hit problem number two which is your drug insurance that won't pay since they've already filled one of those script's for the month. Isn't this a doozy of a problem?

Welcome to one more thing you'll now get use to doing each time you're picking up your prescriptions - and that's the fact that you're the one who needs to double check/count so you make sure this kind of horrible mistake won't happen again. I'm sorry you've been burned, but for what it's worth, we've all been there too. Bob.

shorted meds
 

I was shorted 100 methadone 10mg once, but I get my meds and put them in daily reminder boxes for the entire month so i new that day. Upon counting hefound that he did indeed short me and appologized and gave me my meds. In most states if they are off even 1 pill for CII's they have to fill out lots of paperwork and if it happens more than a few times in a year they can have their licence suspended. Of course if they are over and not short then....
I also keep my controlled substances in a safe. I would suggest buying 4 plastic 7-day pill boxes and counting them when you get them. Very few pharmacicts will give you more pills at the end of the month especially. Best of luck. All pain sufferers are at the pharmacists and the doctors mercy. Best of luck. :) Brian

My meds were shorted by my pharmacy
 

I am prescribed 180 percocets per month. My mom and pop pharmacist always counts them for customers. This particular time he brought out a bottle that was unopened that had 100 in it then he took another bottle with 100 and took out 20. He usually pours the leftover 80 from the second bottle into mine. However, this time he poured the 20 into mine and put it in my bag and handed it to me. He was on the phone and talking to other employees all at the same time. I did not realize what had happened til I got home and counted. I immediately called back and he informed me they never make mistakes. I tried to calmly tell him I did not think he did it on purpose but anyone can make a mistake. All I asked him to do was count his inventory. He said he would, however it has been four weeks, I have been out of meds for a week and he says he still has not finished his count. I feel like I am just screwed. It totally ticks me off that my insurance was billed for 180 but I was only given 120. Is there any agency I can call to report this and how can his inventory not be off? I am so upet about this and feel so helpless.

Yes, you can report it to the Board of Pharmacy in your state.

They will investigate it as possible diversion.

I have come up short every other refill on my percocet 10-325 qty. 240 count.
I would be short 4-6 per refill. I changed pharmacy after this happen to me 6 times and no long have this problem.

When I brought this problem up to the manager at the old pharmacy she said that this has never happen that I must have miscounted. As I told her this was happening every other refill and it was the same pharmacist shorting me refills. All the other refills that were not short were done by other pharmacist. I was not very pleased with the way the manager handle this problem kind of saying that I was wrong not them. My video taping showing opening a sealed bag and then opening the pill container and counting out the pills which came up short was not enough evidence for her. I will not name the store chain but this is a national chain.

I told my wife this pharmacist filling thousand of scrips a day shorting 2 pills here 6 pills there many times a day can add up to making a couple grand a day on the side all at our expense causing our meds to be such a high price.

Since I quit getting meds filled at local Walmart I havent had any problems except when I was going to change from Walgreens to USave drug store, had called USave and asked for prices on my meds I was given one price but when I got them filled the price was more than 2.5 what I had been told it would be. I refused to take them and went back down to Walgreens after finding out that my prescriptions had been "transferred" they had me speak w/pharmacist and he called doc and got new scripts and gave me better pricing on all of my meds.
My ordeal with Walmart was they actually filled my prescription with 3 different meds in the same bottle and when I took them back in come to find out none of the meds in my bottle of BP medicine was even a BP med. So needless to say that was the last time I got meds filled there and I got home and reported them. I know loosing my business didnt hurt them in the least but it was the last straw after being shorted on several occasions.