Republished August 20, 2024
A woman was accidentally given another person's medicine at a pharmacy. Later, when a pharmacist realized the mistake, he attempted to reach the woman by phone, but only had her home phone number on file. The woman did not answer because she was out running errands. The pharmacist kept trying but did not get through until later that evening. By that time, the woman had already taken a dose of medicine from the other person’s prescription. The medicine was Cellcept (mycophenolate mofetil), a drug that is given to transplant patients to prevent organ rejection. The medicine she was supposed to receive was a new prescription for Zestril (lisinopril) to treat her high blood pressure.
This event reminded us that, with all the communication technology available today, your healthcare professionals, your hospital, and your pharmacy need to have a good way to contact you in an emergency. Providing them with your cell phone number, and an email address, will help them contact you faster since most people carry their cell phone with them. In addition, many healthcare providers can even send text messages to your phone.
It makes sense to provide your cell phone number upfront so pharmacists can communicate with you in a timely manner to prevent situations like the one just described. Keep that in mind when you are asked to fill out forms when seeing a healthcare provider, or at a hospital or clinic. Consider updating your contact information during your next visit. Also, don't forget to give them an emergency phone number (preferably a cell phone number) for a trusted friend or family member who they can contact in case they can't reach you.
