Incorrect medication

[fire1ss]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NJ Last night (monday) I picked up a perscription for my son at the pharmacy. (A major chain pharmacy) When we got home I opened the bag took the bottle out and gave my son one of the pills. AFTER he had taken the pill I saw the bottle on the counter had someone else's name on it. I had just given my son someone else's medication. The receipt and lable stapled to the outside of the bag was the correct one with my son's information and correct medication on it. The medicine in the bag was incorrect. I imidiately called the pharmacy and they told me that what I had given my son was a sleeping pill instead of his asthma medication. (both tiny pills). They stated that all I had to do was make him vomit and all would be fine. I asked if I should take him to the ER and the pharmacist said that wasn't needed because all they would do is induce vomiting. My son was able to vomit about 1 - 1.5 cups and I felt that was enough because he had just taken the pill about 5 minutes ago. The pharmacy tech came to my home and brought me the correct medication and picked up the wrong medication. I now feel I was given very poor advice and should have been told to go directly to the hospital. Especialy since I told the pharmacist that my son was recovering from a concussion suffered on sunday. My son did vomit but I feel he still felt the effects of some of the sleeping pill that had been absorbed into his system. Does this constitute malpractice on the part of the pharmacy / pharmacist?

 

[lya]

Of course, it is malpractice to dispense the incorrect medication.

The advice given was appropriate, though. If your son had gone to the ED, either an emetic to induce vomiting would have been given or an NG tube would have been inserted and the stomach contents suctioned out. Either treatment by the ED would have increased intracranial pressure as much or more than having your child vomit.

You could have called poison control; they would have provided a recommended course of action, which would most likely have been for the child to vomit.

If he slept well and woke up with no physical problem, there is no damage associated with the dispensing of the incorrect medication.

You learned a valuable lesson: Always read the label of any prescription bottle and make sure it is your medication in the correct dose and form BEFORE leaving the pharmacy.

 

[LAWMED]

How old is your son and what was the medication?

Vomiting is not the best idea for anyone who has had a recent concussion since it raises the pressure on the brain significantly. How was vomiting induced? Only syrup of ipecac is recommended when vomiting is recommended induced by poison centers. However, vomiting should never be induced with ipecac if the ingested substance causes altered mental status (sleeping pills).
see: http://tinyurl.com/qpg3m4

No one ingested sleeping pill I can think of will cause anything but sleep in a child and requires no treatment absent other issues.

SO; a poison center would have advised NOT to induce vomiting and likely observe at home (I was a supervisor in the Georgia Poison center some years back). The ER would have done NOTHING for a single sleeping pill, and sent him home to sleep it off.

second valuable lesson is call poison control not a pharmacist who can't read