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CVS Prescription Errors

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It's estimated there are as many as 7,000 deaths annually in the United States from incorrect prescriptions and pharmacy regulators say the problem is getting worse as the number of prescriptions increases and the number of pharmacists decreases.

But surely a big company like CVS has a way to reduce the number of errors to nearly zero? We'd like to think so but the accounts we hear aren't very encouraging. In addition to the general mishaps below, we have a growing collection of consumer complaints about potentially serious errors including wrong counts, wrong dosage, the wrong drug and mistaken identity. The service pharmacy patients and their caregivers receive also leaves a lot to be desired.

Sarah of Fairfax, VA July 22, 2009

I take 150mg of lithium 5x/day. The prescription was filled for 300mg 5x/day (double my usual dosage) As I was filling it at a new pharmacy, I didn't worry about the different color of the casing. I took it for nine days before I realized and had terrible side-effects.

Natasha of Carlsbad, CA July 15, 2009

I went to fill a prescription for Subutex 8mg (x30)on 7-10-09 and when I got home up in North County San Diego, Carlsbad, I discovered that I had someone elses prescription. Not only did I pay 240 and fill it far from my house(near work)but they made me drive down there at 10pm to get it. They should have at least filled it near my home. The most alarming thing about this is that if the person who my prescription got switched with had taken it, they easily could have died! I was offered nothing, not even 5.00 for my trouble! They told me that to avoid further complications I had better come right then, at 10pm. My husband had to drive me and we had to take my young son. What if I couldn't afford to drive all the way back down south or what if I was sick and had to take it right then...what if the other guy had died? trusting that he was given "his prescription"

Isabel of South Gate, CA July 14, 2009

My husband dropped off my prescription on 7-13-09 at about 2:00 pm. There was a descrepancy finding my name since it's hyphenated. Fine he drops it off and they said 30-45 minutes. Then he goes back an hour later at about 3:20pm and the CVS pharmacy girl tells him it's not ready still to come back. We go back at about 7:15 pm. Again they can not find my name due to my name being hyphenated (Isabel Rivera-Rendon) She looked it up and she said they do not have my prescription. That they would need to order it. I asked her why didn't they inform my husband the first time he was there so we wouldn't have to come back.

All she said is "I don;t know". So I asked her if another CVS has it, and she called and no. She said that they ordered it and they will have it tomorrow. To call after 11am to confirm it is in. On 7-14-09 at 11:32 am I called and they pharmacy clerk said it was in. I asked if it will be filled, and she said yes, that they are currently working on it. My husband arrives at 2:47 pm to pick it up again and it's not ready. That he would have to wait 15-20 minutes to get it filled. Finally at 3:08 he was able to get it filled.

Irene of Alhambra, CA July 10, 2009

I placed an order for prescriptions...order came back all wrong...and was charged incorectly. I contacted the doctor to make some notes on a correction prescription for follow up...and then the avalanche started!!! Keep recieving tons of medication, keep charging us...it never stops. I contacted their corporte office and sent in copies of all documents for help...and "NOTHING!" I think the thing that infuriates me the most...is that when I was working with the customer service center...NO MATTER HOW hard you try and get a Regional Manager that oversees their service center...NO ONE will give you a name, other the the "Team Supervisors" that you want to complain about!!! It's a nightmare dealing with these agents...and their supervisors!!!

Kyla of Chicago, IL July 10, 2009

3 incidents:

1. 5/30/09 - I have my prescriptions set up on the auto refill option. My parents, who live in Ohio, got a call saying my prescription was ready. I have not lived in Ohio for 5 years and have asked for my contact to be changed multiple times. When I went to my local CVS where the prescription was to be ready, it was not. It took 45 minutes to refill it, which is ok, but the auto refill option obviously doesn't work (nor does asking contact information to be changed).

2. and 3. 7/3/09 My parents again got a call saying my prescription was ready. It being a holiday weekend and having enough pills to get me through until Tuesday, I stopped by the pharmacy Tuesday. The staff member gave me 1 prescription and I said I had 2. She looked up the other and said I needed an authorization as refills were out - she said CVS faxed the request on Monday but had not heard back from my doctor. I let her know that my last bottle said I had 1 more, but that I would check with my doctor. In the meantime, she charged me for 3 months worth of my other prescription, and only gave me 1 month’s worth, so I had to return and ask for the rest. I called my doctor’s office the next morning when it opened and asked for an authorization, which they called in to CVS. I returned to the pharmacy that evening and asked for the additional prescription. She said that one was filled June 30 and had I picked that up yet? I said that was just there the day before looking for it (it was the same staff member). She said she thought I said there would be changes to it, which simply never happened. She then gave me the prescription, which was hanging on the pick up shelf, where it probably was the day before as well. While this isn’t terrible, I am behind on my medication by 2 days, which can be quite serious depending on the medication.

sharon of shirley , NY July 9, 2009

My 10 year old daughter was percribed risperdal she has been taking this medication for 6 months at least. I went to the drive through pick up location to get her medications. firt they did not ask for my siginature. when i got home i opened the medication because it was a new strenth and i read the medicine information packet that come with the percription. They had gave her Ropinirole instead. this medication is for parkinsons and restless leg syndrome. she is only 10.When i called the pharmacy the lady told me it was a new generic for risperdal. I told her that my daughter is on a mood stabilizer not on something for parkensons. I went back up to cvs and retrieved the right medicine. also on the paper it said counsel/ new drug and nobody asked if i wanted to speek to the pharmacy.

Cyndee of Santa Monica, CA July 7, 2009

I have had nothing but trouble with this staff. My doctors issue 3 to 6 month scripts that are faxed or delivered to the store, only to have to be contacted each month for a renewal as previous paperwork is not inputted into the system. I have had wrong drugs and needles issued to me and lost looks from the pharmacist when I bring things to either their attention or back to the store.

Staff is constantly loosing or misplacing refills when they are finally available and I have spend upwards of 30 minutes waiting for things to be found or refilled. I have been issued the same drug in a month due to paperwork mishaps. Have they ever heard of Over Dosing? I am treated like a moron when I state something is wrong and the attitudes only become more vial when they realize they were in fact wrong.

I have received new medications and not been consulted by the pharmacist on duty. When I ask they are to busy on the phone with GOD knows who to answer any questions. The worker bees of the department are left looking like fools as their superiors clearly make it know to everyone around that they make the calls and will decide who can be helped.

Pharmacist will stand behind a counter reading magazines as 5 to 10 clients wait in line and offer no help or assistance to sales staff. When asked question from the line they will play passive aggressive and either make things more complicated or flat out offer no help at all. How do [they] make money? I have confidence that [their] staff does not realize the seriousness of their jobs. This is serious stuff I like to refer to it as LIFE AND DEATH when drugs and medications are involved. They do have degrees and proper DEA qualifications to be dealing with the chemicals they issue, RIGHT? I many time think not!

I have decided to move to a local family owned pharmacy and in my conversation with the owner he stated that CVS is by far the worst and most of his customers have come to him as CVS is very incompetent and unable to handle simple task across the board. CVS has definitely made it clear I will need a degree as being given drugs in a very informal and nonchalant way is the future and if I want to stay alive it would be the more prudent path to follow.

I have had serious thoughts about having my attorney contact the DEA on this matter and this store specifically as someone at company needs to be responsible for the actions that are not being taken by staff. There are not words for how embarrassed and ashamed [they] should be over your ethics and business practices. Cynthia McCarthy

Bradford of Bremen, GA July 5, 2009

It has not been just one incident but many and despite my doctors recommendations to change pharmacies, I have just become accustomed to using this chain. I left the Bremen, GA store on alabama ave., because they misfilled 3 of my RXs with unknown meds and another time, they gave me someone else's med's and I didn't realize it until I got home. Also they were caught abusing the extra care bucks program and when I reported them to the area mgr. the whole store staff seemed to know me when I walked into the store and believe me, it was as close as I want to come to the public tar and feather punishment.

I then began using CVS in Villa Rica GA and the same thing there. Med's were filled incorrectly, the Pharmacy staff, all collectively are the most Rude, hateful and humiliating people that hold public jobs. They seemed to think they were my Doctor and in front of many customers on several occassions, they embarrassed me by questioning my RX's and told me they could not fill my med's until speaking with my Doctor. This happened on 3 occassions, each time my Doctor told them to fill my Script's as directed but they seemed as though they were punishing me still for what happened in the neighboring town. My Doctor's (2) have gotten fed up with CVS making it so hard on me and told me to change drug stores. Both physicians told me they did not like CVS and this behavior was common.

They should be more careful with regard to patient privacy, I have also contacted them on many occassions regarding loud, detailed and personal information being revealed while they were communicating their rude reasons and problems each time. This is habitual with this company and until I found this web site, I thought it was very personal and I have for years thought it was just me. Honestly, I am treated for major depression and take many meds for this and their behavior has greatly affected me in serious ways in the past. It is just a relief to find that this is a larger problem than just mine. I just thought I was being punished for reporting the Bremen Store for misfilling my meds and giving me someone else's med and abusing the extra care buck program.

Brandon of lilesville, NC June 25, 2009

After a doctor visit with my 4 year old daughter, we dropped off a prescription for an oral antibiotic and ear drops. This was at 1pm. (This oral antibiotic is very important because my daughter is scheduled for outpatient surgery in a week following a round of antibiotics.) When we returned at 4pm to pick up the prescription, the pharmacy only gave me the ear drops and had no clue that I had 2 medications to pick up. After minutes of searching, they finally found my prescription only to tell me that they couldn't fill it due to the insurance. They preceeded to tell me that they had already contacted the doctor to see if he wanted to call in something else, but got no response from my doctor.

Furious, I left CVS and rushed home to call the doctors office to learn that they had never been contacted by CVS, and has never had a problem with an insurance company refusing to cover this very common antibiotic. Thirty minutes after my conversation with the doctors office, CVS pharmacy called my home to inform me that my original prescription had been filled and they apoligized for having me make 2 trips to town. Now, if this isn't enough to make you want to cuss, just three days prior to this, I went in to pick up another brand of ear drops, and discovered the pharmacy had given me eye drops instead. I'm so glad I caught the mistake, and had them correct it. I do believe I am finished with this pharmacy.

Sonia of Worcester, MA June 16, 2009

On June 15, 2009, I went to Cvs Pharmacy on 264 W. Boylston Street , West Boylston Mass to the drive-thru to pick up my 4 year daughters prescription for Pulmicort(Steriod). (Wich is used to control and prevent symptoms caused by asthma). At the same time I was told that another prescription Budesonide which is also used to control and prevent asthma was also prescribed for my daughter.

But it wasn't available at the time and that it would be available the next day. I told the cashier that the doctor only prescribed one medication not two. After the cashier handed me the Pulmicort medication I opened the box and noticed that the date had already been expired. May 2009.

I brought it back to the cashier and the cashier gave me a new one. The pharmacist never bothered to walk up to the drive-thru to apologize for her mistake, I had to specifically asked for the pharmacist myself to complain for her mistake. Consequences, my daughter could of ended in the ER because of this expired medication (which I was told makes the potent of the medicine weak and it doesn't guarentee to work to it's potential).

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