Do you count the number of pills you receive when you renew a prescription?
By Stringbean
@Stringbean (1273)
United States
February 10, 2007 1:06pm CST
I recently called two different prescriptions and each one was for 30 tablets. It wasn't an expensive prescription so I didn't bother checking to make sure there were 30 tablets in each bottle. I'm sure I would have taken time to do that if each pill had cost me a dollar or more.
Anyway, today I noticed that one bottle only had 4 tablets left and the other had more than a dozen. Hmm. I know there are no druggies living in my house and that I am very careful to take only one of each per day.
Would you make an issue about it with the pharmacist, or just make sure every tablet is counted from now on. There really is no way I could prove that I didn't get all 30 pills so I am leaning toward just letting it go this time.
2 people like this
8 responses
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
28 Mar 07
I sometimes do check. Most of the time it is correct, however there was a time or two when I was short changed, and I let them know it.
1 person likes this
@Stringbean (1273)
• United States
28 Mar 07
I think we all need to get in the habit of checking. It seems as though everything needs checks and balances these days to keep them honest.
@howard96h (11640)
• New York, New York
10 Feb 07
The same thing happened to me. Now when I get home I count the pills. I changed my pharmacy last year because of this same thing, it had happened more than once.
@Stringbean (1273)
• United States
10 Feb 07
It seems I am not the only one. I never really gave it much thought before and would never have caught it except that the medication worked together and I had to take an equal amount of each one every day.
Well, I will definitely be more careful in the future.
1 person likes this
@Lostinoz (145)
• United States
17 Feb 07
The same thing happened to me! The last time I went to that particular pharmacy I counted the pills at the counter when making the purchase. The lady behind the counter told me that I could not do that and I asked why I couldn't. She didn't have a good answer for me and guess what? The prescription was shorted by 10 pills. I even counted them twice to make sure. There was no apology or anything, I was pretty much asked to leave. We changed pharmacies.
@the_vicar (1477)
• United States
20 Feb 07
I rarely take perscription medicine and so I have never counted the pills to see how many were issued. However, I would talk to the pharmacist maybe he has someone helping who is taking some of the pills out of the bottles and keeping them. Or, the pharmacist may have just made a mistake. Do bring it to his/her attention.
@Stringbean (1273)
• United States
20 Feb 07
Excellent suggestion the_vicar. I hadn't even thought of that possibility and will certainly do it next time I have any missing (?) pills.
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
13 Feb 07
Often our pharmacist does not have enough pills to fill the prescription and they will make a note in the computer that they still owe so many. Maybe that is what happened in your case. If you contact them and say you thought maybe they just run out, they will give you the rest that you need to get the right amount. I would tell them though because you depend on the amount of days to be taken care of. It may have a logical explanation.
@Stringbean (1273)
• United States
13 Feb 07
I hadn't thought of that possibility. Well, if it happens again, I'll see what I can work out with them. It is a busy pharmacy, so it could be an honest mistake.
@onabreak2 (1161)
• United States
13 Mar 07
Yes I do and I check to make sure it is the correct Rx. Too many times there will be missing pills and a couple of times a completely wrong Rx was given. Once it could have been deadly and the pharmacist gave us all our money back he was so relieved that none of the pills had been taken.
I think he would have lost his job. I just wish that the pharmacist were a bit more careful when filling Rx's. To hear them on the commercials on TV you would think they were saints. Not so.
@Stringbean (1273)
• United States
13 Mar 07
Good comment. I recently opened a prescription bottle to find capsules instead of the tablets I had always had before. I found out that they were generic pills, but no one had even asked me or informed me before the switch was made.
@princeworthy (1909)
• United States
29 Mar 07
I have had this happen to me. It was my sleeping pills (when I took them) so I know for a fact I didn't take more than one. I was taking them right after laying down to sleep. I let it go the first time and then counted them after that. I only found the count to be off once more and I let the pharmacy know and they replaced the 2 pills. I have been a pharmacy technician before and when it gets hectic sometimes it is easy to lose count. That doesn't make it right and your pharmacy should make it right if you point it out to them within a couple of days.
@Stringbean (1273)
• United States
31 Mar 07
I'm glad to hear that they will do that. I was afraid they would just think I was trying to get extra pills without paying for them. Thanks for your comment.
@Alexandria37 (5717)
• Ireland
12 Feb 07
I always check my prescription and the number of pills I receive. There have been a few mistakes in the past, but my pharmacist knows me and he just recitified the mistake. I think if you are left short of pills, you should go back to the pharmacist. I am sure you wouldn't need proof, as who on earth would want more pills that what is prescribed.
