look out

my sister bought prescription medicines at mercury drug ali mall the other day (january 25).  then nighttime she tells me that it turns out the drugstore has given her a different tablet and she has taken it!

whaaattt???

she says she compared the newly bought ones with the old and the names and appearances are similar but not quite the same.

uh-oh...

i went to mercury drug ali mall yesterday to have the meds replaced.  i told the pharmacy assistant the meds they gave my sister was different from the one on the prescription and my sister has taken a tablet!

the pharmacy assistant looks at the box i was returning, compares it to the doctor's prescription then tells me i have to pay additional as the one in the prescription is more expensive.

okay!

no problem about payment.  my concern is to get the correct medicines.

me:  'how come you gave something different from the prescription?  isn't that dangerous?  you should be careful about these things.  these are meds.'

the pharmacy assistant tells me it's just a different brand and it won't harm my sister.

i said it's fortunate that it's just a brand difference in this case but what if next time it's not?

i asked whether the prescribed tablets are not available.

she checked.

they are.

then that's what they should have dispensed!

i told the pharmacy assistant to tell her colleagues to be extra careful and double check next time.

the pharmacy assistant went to the back and talked to this girl.  then she entered a room to my left and stayed there a few minutes.

when she came back, she was with the manager.

the manager asked where i'm from, whether quezon city.

i said i live nearby.

he told me i won't have to pay anything anymore.  (it turns out the receipt shows that my sister actually paid for the more expensive brand.  it was just in the dispensing that she was given the cheaper brand.)

the manager said they're going to give me the prescribed tablets and won't charge me for the one my sister has taken.

eh?!  of course!  why should they?!  my sister actually took wrong meds because of their mistake!

the manager reiterated the tablet my sister took is okay.  it won't harm her.

i said good thing we got lucky in this instance.  the point though is they should be dispensing the correct medicines.  it is risky otherwise.

anyway, the pharmacy assistant processed the replacement plus my additional purchase (i paid for the latter).  while waiting, i told the customer to my right to double check what she'll be given as my sister was given a different med just the day before.

a short while later, the manager again appeared, at my side of the counter this time.  he asked whether we could talk at his office.

i said i'm in a hurry as i have to be home by noon because my sister will be taking the meds noontime.

the manager and i therefore didn't get to talk anymore.  i wonder what he had to say.  maybe i'd drop by next time i'm in the area.

reminder:
do your share in checking your own meds.  don't rely on the pharmacists alone.  people make mistakes.  when it comes to health, those mistakes could be costly.