Pharmacy not dispensing correct amount of medication

S

Shantaram

New Member
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The directions on the pharmacy label attached to medication box, states take 2 tablets , twice daily, so I should be getting 120 tablets, however, i am only receiving 60 tablets, same thing happened with last months prescription. So, Im not sure if I am being shortchanged, or I am understanding the instruction ' take 2 tablets, twice daily ' incorrectly
Tablets are not expensive, but I do feel I am being shortchanged
 
Tablets usually come in different sizes. They may be you you a larger dose in each tablet . So need to really check the prescription dose rather than the number of tablets. Often happens with anti viral drugs for me
 
It does sound like 4 tablets per day total, 2 in the morning, 2 at night. Double check with the pharmacist that the dosage of the tablet you are taking is not halved or doubled. The pharmacists are more than happy to help, the will get out the prescription and double check. They may not have had enough in stock to give you a full 30 days of 120 tablets.
 
If they're short of enough stock to fill your prescription as specified, IME they'll write an IOU on the box asking you to call back for the balance.

That said, my last prescription, collected by me on Saturday last, had three errors; one incorrect item, one item missing from the bag I collected but listed as dispensed by the pharmacy, and one with only half the qty dispensed. It's getting dodgey out there. There has been at least one mistake in every prescription I've collected this year.
 
mathepac said:
If they're short of enough stock to fill your prescription as specified, IME they'll write an IOU on the box asking you to call back for the balance.

That said, my last prescription, collected by me on Saturday last, had three errors; one incorrect item, one item missing from the bag I collected but listed as dispensed by the pharmacy, and one with only half the qty dispensed. It's getting dodgey out there. There has been at least one mistake in every prescription I've collected this year.
Click to expand...
I think this is due to a lot of locums who are drafted in for a day. Does not excuse it though, they are supposed to be professionals
 
Shantaram said:
The directions on the pharmacy label attached to medication box, states take 2 tablets , twice daily,
Click to expand...

Have you a copy of the prescription?

It seems a bit odd to have two tablets twice a day, when you could be getting one big tablet twice a day?

What did the doctor say?

Although do check with both the doctor and the pharmacist.

I remember a pharmacist picking up on a badly worded prescription. But as it was a repeat, I was able to tell him that it was what the pharmacist thought it should be.

Brendan
 
While you are there suggest asking for a printout of your prescription for future reference.
 
I manage the prescriptions for my parents. The pharmacy does blister packs. As they are both on multiple drugs.

You would be amazed at how often there’s an error. Or a change in dose size without informing them. Such as different sized pill. It's so dangerous for my parents, I have to check and double check everything.

Some prescription drugs only come in certain sizes and in recent years there’s been challenges in supply, so sometimes it’s a big pill that has to be halved, sometimes it’s a smaller dose so you’ve to take 2.

I get printouts from the doctor and we all keep a photo of the latest one on our phones as a backup. You need to be on the ball, the pharmacist is great but locums not so much.
 
Since the start of COVID, I've been supplying my pharmacy with an emailed PDF file of my prescriptions printed from a little spreadsheet. There were two reasons for this:
  1. Reduce the number of visits/visitors to the pharmacy and help reduce queueing on the premises
  2. The nature of my prescriptions is such that I don't require repeats of everything every 4 weeks.
I have attached a template of a spreadsheet for anyone who might find it useful.

Data Entry and Calculations:

  • Change the PPSN, GMS Insurance references in Cell A2
  • Cells A4 to A10 Enter the medicine/drug/device name and amount and frequency of treatment
  • Cells B4 to B10 Enter Quantity from Doctor's Prescription
  • Cells C4 to C10 Enter Quantity On-hand
  • Cells D4 to D10 Calculate "Balance", Column B - Column C
  • Cells E4 to E10 Display "NIL" if Column D is zero, otherwise displays the Quantity to dispense
  • Cells F4 to F10 Display either "NIL" or "1" to keep track of the number of items to dispense, summed in column F13
  • Change the date in Cell A1
Either email it to the pharmacy or print it out and bring it with you. Ask the pharmacist to return the list to you with the items dispensed.

EXCEL format, if you need any other format, message me here, or if you have any questions or suggestions. I think it's pretty self-explanatory other than the few notes above.

mathepac
 

Attachments

  • Medication List Template.xlsx
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Last edited:
It is concerning that the pharmacist is making dispensing errors. They do a double check when dispensing so the second check should catch errors.

Speaking to the pharmacist when getting a new medicine is always helpful as they go through the drug, the dosage, taking instructions etc. It helps the customer align with what was heard from the doctor.

I caught a dispensing error this way - the pharmacist mis-read the doctors writing and the “cream” she was dispensing was not “drops” that the doctor has recommended. Pharmacist was all over it. But nowadays they are typed and this reduces the errors.

I had a family member with “high-tech” medicine and the pharmacist could not have been more helpful, the dosage changed frequently which meant the paper trail was slow to catch up with real time and they were super invested, counting tablets, dosage, changing the scripts etc.

It is a serious professional issue for pharmacists that they make dispensing errors. They have checks in place but is it 100% fool proof.

Plus there is research that patients rarely follow the taking of medicines correctly.
 
Very useful spreadsheet. Cuts down on waste too.
My mother is on pain meds that vary in consumption. So we always do a stock check before ordering from the repeat prescription. The pharmacist is great but if it’s a locum they often insist on filling the full prescription and no variations. No biggie we catch up the next month. But it is very wasteful
 
Just to note Lloyds have an online form where you can upload a new prescription, or order a prescription on file.
If your order is complex, can specify the details.

lloydspharmacy.ie

DigiScript Prescription Upload

Shop our online selection of vitamins & supplements, skincare, beauty and bathroom essentials for you and your family. Free delivery nationwide on orders over €40.
lloydspharmacy.ie lloydspharmacy.ie

lloydspharmacy.ie

Order Prescription Online | DigiScript Service | LloydsPharmacy Ireland

Order your medications online with LloydsPharmacy's straightforward DigiScript service and avoid the queues, helping you to save time throughout your day.
lloydspharmacy.ie lloydspharmacy.ie
 
Useful but you'll still need to prepare in advance a PDF, a text, or Excel file similar to mine with your prescription details to be included with the Llloyds Prescription upload (See 1 in DigiScript Prescription Upload above)
 
Shantaram said:
I havent yet, I will be speaking to them tomorrow. Was really just curious if anyone else had the same problem at some point.
Click to expand...
Just to add, I do have some cognitive and memory issues, so i wasnt sure if I was mistaken in amount I should take, or if they were indeed leaving me short. Thanks
Clamball said:
It does sound like 4 tablets per day total, 2 in the morning, 2 at night. Double check with the pharmacist that the dosage of the tablet you are taking is not halved or doubled. The pharmacists are more than happy to help, the will get out the prescription and double check. They may not have had enough in stock to give you a full 30 days of 120 tablets.
Click to expand...
Thank you Clamball and JoeRoberts

My brain can get very fuzzy at times and I get easily confused. But I did think the label did mean take 4 tablets in total, so I was taking that amount, but I wont have enough for rest of month in a few days. I feel I should have gotten 120 tablets, but there was 60 in the box. The dosage per tablet is 100mgs
On the medication box label it says:
'60 100mgs Hard Caps, take two Capsules (200mgs) Twice a Day'

I will talk to them tomorrow. They are usually quite good in checking things, drug interactions and that sort of thing. Also, usually if they were short on medication, they would tell me, and also write it on the bag that the prescription came in. I will let you know how I get on. Thank you again. I really appreciate your replys to me.
mathepac said:
If they're short of enough stock to fill your prescription as specified, IME they'll write an IOU on the box asking you to call back for the balance.

That said, my last prescription, collected by me on Saturday last, had three errors; one incorrect item, one item missing from the bag I collected but listed as dispensed by the pharmacy, and one with only half the qty dispensed. It's getting dodgey out there. There has been at least one mistake in every prescription I've collected this year.
Click to expand...
Hi mathepac, yes, that is dodgy. Hope you get everything sorted. I feel that i was left short last month as well, but I was away for a week and I assumed I either lost or left some medication behind. Hopefully they will be able to explain tomorrow.
Brendan Burgess said:
Have you a copy of the prescription?

It seems a bit odd to have two tablets twice a day, when you could be getting one big tablet twice a day?

What did the doctor say?

Although do check with both the doctor and the pharmacist.

I remember a pharmacist picking up on a badly worded prescription. But as it was a repeat, I was able to tell him that it was what the pharmacist thought it should be.

Brendan
Click to expand...
Hi Brendan, I dont have a copy of the prescription, I just handed it in to Chemist, never thought to make a copy. I really should going forward though, just for my own sanity, if nothing else :) Not sure if the tablets come in 200mg sizes, I think I will ask thoug, might make it easier for me when I do get confused. never even thought of it, so thank you for that. Good suggestion.
mathepac said:
Since the start of COVID, I've been supplying my pharmacy with an emailed PDF file of my prescriptions printed from a little spreadsheet. There were two reasons for this:
  1. Reduce the number of visits/visitors to the pharmacy and help reduce queueing on the premises
  2. The nature of my prescriptions is such that I don't require repeats of everything every 4 weeks.
I have attached a template of a spreadsheet for anyone who might find it useful.

Data Entry and Calculations:

  • Change the PPSN, GMS Insurance references in Cell A2
  • Cells A4 to A10 Enter the medicine/drug/device name and amount and frequency of treatment
  • Cells B4 to B10 Enter Quantity from Doctor's Prescription
  • Cells C4 to C10 Enter Quantity On-hand
  • Cells D4 to D10 Calculate "Balance", Column B - Column C
  • Cells E4 to E10 Display "NIL" if Column D is zero, otherwise displays the Quantity to dispense
  • Cells F4 to F10 Display either "NIL" or "1" to keep track of the number of items to dispense, summed in column F13
  • Change the date in Cell A1
Either email it to the pharmacy or print it out and bring it with you. Ask the pharmacist to return the list to you with the items dispensed.

EXCEL format, if you need any other format, message me here, or if you have any questions or suggestions. I think it's pretty self-explanatory other than the few notes above.

mathepac
Click to expand...
Thank you mathepac, thats a genius idea.
So I went to pharmacy today and it turns out it was just an error on their part. at first they suggested that my dr had decreased the dosage, but I told them my dr had not been in touch to advise me of that, and that I thought he wouldnt do such a thing without talking to me about it. So when they checked their database or whatever its called, they found that they indeed left me short due to an error on there part.
So, big lesson learned. I will now be much more mindful of dosage amounts and dispensed amounts going forward.

Thanks to all of you for replying to me, and being kind. I really aprreciate all the help and useful ideas.
 
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