Right Person, Wrong Prescription
Oops! My Mistake
One question inquires about having any allergic reactions to certain medications or prescriptions. You mention that there is a certain type of antibiotic that you shouldn't take because of such a reaction.
Assuming that when you are given the proper prescription to fill at the local pharmacy, all is well in your world. Cheerfully you drop it off and pick it up a few hours later.
THE PHONE CALL
You are resting and relaxing at home. Not wanting to take the medicine on an empty stomach you go about the business of cooking something to eat. As you embark on that meal you are prepared to take your medication and your focus is distracted by a phone call. Shock of all shocks. It's your doctor's office.
It must be important because the physician himself calls. There seems to be some anxiety in his voice. He needs to know if you have already taken the medication. When you tell him no, there is a sigh of relief on his part.
A MISTAKE WAS MADE
In as professional tone that he can garner, he tells you that he called in the wrong prescription for you. Remember, it's the one you said you were allergic to. He apologizes profusely but says somehow the order was mixed up with another patient's.
Reeling from shock at what he was saying your head spins with the possibility that in mere seconds you would have taken the wrong prescription.
MAKING AMENDS
He offers to pay for the corrected medication on your behalf. In the back of his mind he's hoping that you will graciously receive his offer. As a professional he knows that he could have been sued for this gross oversight. But you give him a break and let him pay for the right prescription instead. You are grateful that the error was discovered before you consumed the wrong pill.
CONCLUSION
When going to the doctor's be sure to mention any allergic reactions you have to any types of medication. Don't be shy in informing the nurse or other medical personnel who is seeking this information from you.
When a prescription is needed, be sure upon pickup to verify with the pharmacist that it is not the wrong medication.
In this true scenario, a serious problem was averted. Make no assumptions, ask lots of questions. The life you save could be your own.
SOURCE:
Story relayed to me by family member
Published by Lee Hansen
I am a woman who enjoys the simple things in life. My parents raised 10 children. I have an Associate Degree in Medical Office Assisting as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Education. View profile
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28 Comments
Post a CommentThe things we take for granted! Great reminder!
Wow! That could have turned out badly! I always make sure my 'scripts look like what it says on the bottle and it it does not, for some reason,(especially after a refill) I call the druggist and ask what shape, color, # it should be. My thyroid medication changed from round green to rectangular green when I changed druggists. And it did not give the identifying info on the bottle, so I called and asked about it. It was ok, but better safe than sorry!
Really scary. These mistakes happen much too often. I think that our doctors are so overwhelmed by the number of patients they have to care for, that it makes mistakes such as these much easier to make.
Hope you had a good Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras if you celebrate! If not, hope you had a happy Tuesday and are having a good Wednesday!
Interesting.
Doctors are human, they make mistakes, good ones, bad ones, and tragic ones. As patients be your own advocate, question, double-check and question again. You're paying the doctor for professional services, get your full benefits. Good one.
Nice article.
Yes, this does happen. Hopefully, it can be caught in time. As consumers we really have to be vigilant about checking and rechecking our meds. The same goes for the professionals that prescribe and disburse them. Even counting the pills, to be sure the right number was issued is important.
Good report!
So true that mistakes happen, thanks for sharing this.