Pharmacy Mistakenly Gives Pregnant Woman Abortion Pill

[easjer]

Read the damn label before sucking down some pills. Hopefully the kid is ok.

Part of the problem is that a side effect of methotrexate is to strip folic acid from the body. It's one reason women who receive it are told not to try to conceive for about 12 weeks (some docs think less than that now if they begin taking high dose folic acid when they are allowed to do resume folic acid). I had to stop my prenatal and folic acid until I was down to 0 hcg, which took 6 weeks, I think.

Folic acid is necessary to embryonic growth and one of the best protections against neural tube defects. That's why it's all over the place as an added vitamin in the US. The potential for having that stripped by the methotrexate is very worrying in such a young pregnancy. At least she'll be able to have an NT work up and know around 12 weeks how a lot of things are looking.

[easjer]

I think part of what bothers me about the woman refusing to take any responsibility here is that most of the pregnant women I've know/ I know have driven me ing insane worrying over the most ridiculous things. I've got miles of stories.

But one thing that most pregnant women would agree on is not ingesting medications without proper care and caution. Which in this case should have been as simple as reading the damn label.

Don't get me wrong - the pharmacy bears the brunt of that mistake. They are responsible for that situation existing. And I feel for this woman more than you can imagine - if she doesn't miscarry, there will probably always be a lingering fear that any detriment or set-back that child experiences will be the result of this mistake.

But she should accept some responsibility for the mistake, because she bore a responsibility to ensure she was ingesting the correct medication.

[ploto]

I would think that any prescription for this drug would have on its label a warning against ingestion by a pregnant woman. I would like to see the bottle.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

FORT LUPTON, Colo.—A pregnant Colorado woman mistakenly given an abortion drug by a pharmacist faces an excruciating wait to find out the fate of her unborn child...............Safeway issued a statement that said policies and procedures meant to prevent medication errors were not adhered to, and that the company is redoubling efforts to ensure they are followed. Those procedures include asking twice for the patient's full name and date of birth before handing out medication.

http://www.montereyherald.com/nation...nclick_check=1

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I would think that any prescription for this drug would have on its label a warning against ingestion by a pregnant woman. I would like to see the bottle.

Exactly. I'm sure big red stickers, or whatever color they are, are easy to see but everyone isn't that observant with things. I'm sure it's not in 6pt font

[MaNuMaNiAc]

That's why things have to be made idiot proof in this day and age. How the do you goble down something without making sure of what it is and what it does?? , I check the label on a Tic Tac...

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I'm leaving judgement til I see the bottle and/or find the name of the other lady. Yeah, it bothers me that she already has a lawyer and taking his advice, but I'll just wait and see.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

Why is it just the bottle? In the video, she used the info slip to easily identify the wrong DOB.

Not to mention the med wasn't what was prescribed. You figure her doc told her what he was prescribing, no?

I've always been told what I'm being prescribed.

[easjer]

Why is it just the bottle? In the video, she used the info slip to easily identify the wrong DOB.

Not to mention the med wasn't what was prescribed. You figure her doc told her what he was prescribing, no?

I've always been told what I'm being prescribed.

That's where I'm willing to cut slack. It's easy to confuse the names of meds or think you've misheard or misunderstood, particularly when your prescription med plan automatically reverts to a generic if one is available. I received sertraline instead of Zoloft, for instance. Same thing, but one is a generic and one is name brand.

Of course, I verified that information, but . . . I can see how reading 'methotrexate' instead of 'amoxicillon' or whatever might not trigger alarm bells. The dosage/directions for use/warnings should have though.

Can't watch video now, but the article says she looked at the bottle when she began to feel sick and was subsequently rushed to the hospital. That would indicate to me that there was likely a warning label somewhere on the bottle that she noticed after the fact. Perhaps I'm wrong though.

[desflood]

You figure her doc told her what he was prescribing, no?

I've always been told what I'm being prescribed.

Honey, you give people too much credit. I know people with life-threatening conditions who couldn't tell you what they were diagnosed with, much less the names of the meds they were prescribed. They just pop the pills into their mouths every day in blind trust of the physicians and pharmacists without a second thought. Like sheep, they're too stupid to care.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

It's that at ude that particularly annoys me.

"I don't care or won't bother it until something goes wrong, but even so, it's not my fault."

And that's exactly what she did.

It's unfortunate.

[Trainwreck2100]

While the labels are there they should not keep the pharmacy from having no culpability when they mess up. Obviously she's a in idiot though

[easjer]

While the labels are there they should not keep the pharmacy from having no culpability when they mess up. Obviously she's a in idiot though

Oh, I'm not arguing her culpability in an effort to dismiss the pharmacy.

They bear the lion's share of blame here. Her need to read the labels doesn't arise if they don't screw up. But neither does the fact they screwed up and set up this situation release her from the common-sense mandate to read the labels and know what you are ingesting, particlarly early in pregnancy when you can cause the greatest damage by taking something not to be taken in pregnancy, assuming the bottle had the same sorts of warning levels my prescription bottles have.

[phxspurfan]

She may lose a



But she will receive

That sucks but how many people in this day and age would trade the baby for the money? you can just make another one if daddy's still around. The only difference is now they have money to buy a house.

[easjer]

That sucks but how many people in this day and age would trade the baby for the money? you can just make another one if daddy's still around. The only difference is now they have money to buy a house.

That is stunningly untrue for many reasons.

[tlongII]

I thought pregnant women weren't supposed to take antibiotics? Guess I was wrong...

[phxspurfan]

That is stunningly untrue for many reasons.

The deed is done, unfortunately. Donate the stem cells to science (if they even want them at 6 weeks old), file the lawsuit and call it a day.

[JoeChalupa]

I hate taking meds and always look at the label of my prescriptions. Never been much of a pill popper.

[easjer]

I thought pregnant women weren't supposed to take antibiotics? Guess I was wrong...

Depends on the reason for it and the antibiotic. On the whole, caution is used in prescribing, but there are times when the benefit outweighs the risk, because the infection could threaten the pregnancy.

[easjer]

The deed is done, unfortunately. Donate the stem cells to science (if they even want them at 6 weeks old), file the lawsuit and call it a day.

Sigh. It doesn't work that way, when this drug is used. They can file a lawsuit, and yes, she can't untake the drug, and yes, regardless of how much blame belongs to her, she will likely win some judgement because of the egregious error the pharmacy made.

Your comment was the issue, and it remains stunningly ignorant. Most women would take the baby over the money. And no, there is no guarantee that one can 'just make another' and even if there were a guarantee, babies/children are not interchangeable and replaceable. To suggest that shows a great lack of understanding how miscarriage affects parents.

[LoneStarState'sPride]

That's why things have to be made idiot proof in this day and age. How the do you goble down something without making sure of what it is and what it does?? , I check the label on a Tic Tac...

So true......

[phxspurfan]

there is no guarantee that one can 'just make another'

I don't get how couples act like making a baby is a big deal. Any baby being born is a miracle. But conceiving is not. Just look at any inner-city high school and you'll see it en masse. Maybe for some small percentage of the population of total women it can be tough, but that percentage is indeed small.

Of course a loving mother would take the baby over the money. Who would argue that they wouldn't? But you can't change the past, and a bunch of people would love to have the settlement check in lieu of nothing.

[easjer]

I don't get how couples act like making a baby is a big deal. Any baby being born is a miracle. But conceiving is not. Just look at any inner-city high school and you'll see it en masse. Maybe for some small percentage of the population of total women it can be tough, but that percentage is indeed small.

Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples in the US and secondary infertility affects more. And that's just the reported numbers, speculation is that it might really be more like 25%+ and we don't know because these people are childless by choice.

I suppose that 17% is small, but it doesn't much matter if it is you. Also, it's not just women. Infertility affects men equally.

And from what I read, it's not yet a done deal - the lower dose of methotrexate than what is given for pregnancy termination, the oral dose versus the intravenous injection that is typically given, the fact she received charcoal to absorb as much as possible . . . it could all add up to mean she doesn't miscarry. If not, the situation could be especially bad because of the risks of birth defects. Many gross deformities can present at the NT scan, given at 11-14 weeks, but others won't really be visible until 20-24 weeks. And even then, some may not show up in a prenatal scan, even a level II, and only be apparent at birth.

Such an unfortunate thing all around.

[mouse]

That sucks but how many people in this day and age would trade the baby for the money? you can just make another one if daddy's still around. The only difference is now they have money to buy a house.

Your right why sell something when you can just recycle it.

[JoeChalupa]

Where is King Solomon when you need him?