Receiving the wrong prescription can have devastating and irreversible effects on people, remember the man who sued CVS after he says a medication mix-up made him go blind in one eye or the teen who was given the wrong ADHD medication at Walgreens? While the latest case of medication mix-ups has a decidedly better outcome for the customer involved, the fact that the man says Costco provided the wrong pills not once, but twice makes it all the more troubling.

BakersfieldNow.com reports that a California Costco pharmacy filled a woman’s prescriptions incorrectly twice in the last year.

The woman’s son says the first incident occurred in September when the pills she received from the pharmacy were larger than they should have been.

Had the woman not noticed the mistake and taken the pills according to the bottle’s instructions, she would have consumed a dose double what her doctor prescribed.

Upon realizing the discrepancy, the woman’s son called her doctor who confirmed the mistake and requested the pills be split in half.

The next incident took place in December when the woman’s prescription was once again incorrectly filled, this time with pills that were too small.

“I said the pills in the bottle say H114,” the woman’s son tells BakersfieldNow.com of calling the pharmacy. “And (the pharmacist) says, ‘Can you please bring that back to me?’”

When the man returned to the retailer with the incorrect medication, the pharmacist on duty confirmed the error and corrected the dosage.

“(The pharmacist) walks away, she looks it up on the computer and then comes back and says, ‘I’m so sorry, I don’t know how this happened.’ She said, ‘You’re right, this is wrong,’” the man recalls.

BakersfieldNow.com’s multiple requests seeking for comment from the local Costco store and corporate representatives were either declined or went unanswered.

The man and his mother say they will file a complaint with the California State Board of Pharmacy against the pharmacy and plan to take their business elsewhere.

To avoid potentially harmful prescription errors, officials with the California State Board of Pharmacy advise consumers to always check their medication before leaving the pharmacy.

People should also pay special attention to the labeling on the pill bottle, as law requires bottles to include a physical description of the pills that are supposed to be inside.

Additionally, the board recommends customers speak to the pharmacist if it’s their first time filling the prescription.

Consumer: Costco gave mom the wrong pills [BakersfieldNow.com]

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