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Given wrong insulin twice by chemist ?

C

Crazzychic

Newbie
Messages
4
Hi all ,
Wondering if anyone can help us here my husband was diagnosed type 2 in Sept 09 and after 2 weeks of mega high readings was put on insulin by DSN so was given 1 Humalog pen and a prescription for more to take on holiday with us . So on day 3 of holiday opened a new pen to discover insulin had went milky instead of clear even though we had packed everything properly (in carry on luggage) had a bit of trouble tryin to get more insulin from a doc and then a chemist that stocked it only too discover when opened it was the same milky stuff so not knowing any better he just used it as it said Humalog on it . (also on Lantis at night too)

It wasnt until we went to the diabetic clinic in November (i cant always acompany him) that i asked if there was a diffrence between Humalog and Humalog 50/50 as that was what was also on the pen to be told that this was an insulin mix and not what he was prescribed and he was to stop using it right away as the 50/50 and lantis are never used together , his prescription only states Humalog so turns out to be local pharmacy that mucked up and not the doc as thought . When he went to collect next prescription was told to return in 24 hours to collect as this insulin had to be ordered in , i would have thought most pharmacies would carry insulin , is there that many types ???

And so to Satuarday he decided to go to Boots to get next prescription so he didnt have to wait for it to be ordered as its a massive pharmacy depatment and he was right he didnt have to wait very long , grabbed the bag off chemist and hurried home well the footie was starting and as i went to put it in fridge well even Boots cant get it right as they gave him Humalog mix 25% .

Is this a common thing to happen with insulin to be given the wrong 1 by 2 diffrent chemists ? being newbies we realy didnt know any better , could he actually do any damage by using this ?
What would you do is it worth it complaining ? as he never checked it till he got home (remember the footie lol) What would you do in this situation ???

If you got this far thanks for reading , sorry but i do tend to go on just a bit hubby says its a woman thing :roll: .
 
This shouldn't ever happen. Pharmacies should check EVERYthing. As soon as you have the right stuff, go back to those pharmacies and ask to see the senior person there. Tell them what's happened. I go to the same pharmacy always and am known. If any medication is changed, they always ask me about it.
Hana
 
Sounds very wierd that could happen twice, I changed tablets recently and they double checked with me and questioned me to make sure I was sure I knew what I was taking and when and they have a senior person double check all my orders before giving me them.

Just explain to boots what happend and that you would like it noted its not right.
 
This happened to us twice also, so your not alone. In our case our script goes straight to the chemist, so i never actually see whats on it, first time chemist handed me a bag with humalog 50, then second time the same. The starting point of the problem was actually the receptionist at the clinic, when i nicely told her of the mistake the first time she apologised and said she'd rectify it. Second time i wasn't as nice and she's altered his medication on his records and i got a print out to double check it. Appartently both had been added to his records and when asked for a repeat prescription, instead of looking for Humalog, they print off the first Humalog they see, which was Humalog 50, (which funnily enough my son had never been prescribed in the first place!!!)
Sorry long post, but your problem could be generating from the same point, as chemists are normally so thorough in dealing out drugs.
Suzi x
 
My understanding is that the chemists have to log any errors they make, so do make sure someone senior records the error - make it clear you're not trying to cause trouble, just prevent similar errors in the future. They're supposed to show you the insulin so you can confirm it's the type you're expecting, but in practice few do this.

There are lots of different types of insulin and it needs refrigeration, so small pharmacies won't stock every type. If you stick with the same pharmacy they'll keep your type of insulin in stock because they know they have a regular demand for it.

I'm on insulin in cartridges rather than pre-filled pens, because I need to do half-unit doses which is impossible with pre-filled pens. Often they try to give me the pre-filled ones even though the prescription says "3ml cartriges".

I've learned to always check what's in the bag before you leave the pharmacy, its easier to query it at the time. Get any redundant items removed from the prescription so they can't be prescribed or dispensed if someone reads the wrong line.
 
i was given the wrong insulin by the doctors the day i left hospital after diagnosis!!!

i would definately check you have been given the right insulin before you leave,

i was once give lancets instead of needles, so now i always check before i leave my docs, its worrying some people can be careless with such an important thing!
 
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