http://abcnews.go.com/Health/pregnant-colorado-woman-abortion-drug-antibiotic/comments?type=story&id=12865651
If you read this in detail… it boils down to the person being given the meds for someone with a similar name… not mis-filled …but wrong bag on will call was given to her… she noticed that name on label was not hers and took one tablet… Methotrexate is normally dosed as multiple tabs ONCE A WEEK.. and apparently she did not read the directions and took ONE TABLET.. While the POTENTIAL to the fetus is there… there are no absolutes in medicine.
Also notice that Safeway… official statement.. that employees didn’t follow policies and procedures… so from a corporate standpoint…they are not at fault. visit health blog for health education You will never hear from the Pharmacist or staff about what happened… without a doubt… Safeway has muzzled them.
Filed under: Mistakes/Errors
When I was a Safeway pharmacist (in Canada) they had THE most explicit rules to help prevent rx errors, including giving the wrong rx to someone, which I see as an Rx error. I have never seen the like in any other workplace. And the district manager would come around and inspect the pharmacy to make sure the rules were being followed and documented.
One of the required steps was that the *pharmacist* (and no one else) was to look at each rx with the patient at the counter, open the rx bottle, and check the contents. This was where you had the last opportunity to catch an error (e.g. indomethacin 50mg instead of 25mg in there)
At least when I worked there, Safeway had every right to make the comments you have reported.