Has anyone gotten a bad batch of medication that didn't work?
Question posted by sara12345 on 24 Aug 2012
Last updated on 1 August 2019
I got a refill of Pristiq, not generic, that led the severe depression returning, a stopping of my major side effect of nightmares, and I had 2 weeks of insomnia which I have never had with the medications that I take at night.
Suspecting that the medication wasn't any good, I got an early refill of the medication. Then the side effect of nightmares returned, the depression went away and the insomnia went away.
And the bottle that the bad pills came in had a cap that had to be broken open with a wrench by my husband. Then it wouldn't close up, so I returned it to the pharmacy as a complaint. More possible evidence of a tampering with the medication?
What action should I take in this case? It is very DISTURBING to not be able to trust the medication that I am getting. I feel like writing to the pharmacy, the manufacturer and the FDA, but probably no one will pay any attention.
Added 25 Aug 2012:
THANK YOU all for all of your suggestions, which I am going to contact the manufacturer, the AMA and the FDA.
Yes I have gotten a bad batch of Medicine after taking the third dose of it I was homicidal suicidal. I had taken this medicine for over 12 years and it worked fine I got it refilled at Kmart and it was a bad batch of Medicine. Recently I got my thyroid medicine refilled at Walgreens. Within a half hour of taking it I would my head felt real foggy and I was sleepy I couldn't stay awake. I have been on this medicine for about 18 years. I argue with the drugstore that it was a bad batch of medicine and they said it was not the medicine. But I know for a fact it was a medicine because I stop taking it for a couple days and was fine and then I took it and within a half-hour all those bad effects came back again. So yes they can have a bad batch of Medicine
Votes: +0
SA
sara12345
1 Aug 2019
Sounds like a bad experience. Some of the suggestions above were to contact the FDA and the manufacturer. But I would first contact the FDA. You can go online to file your complaint. Do not throw away the pills in case they want to test them.
MS
MsGomes
27 Aug 2012
Hey! That's horrible & I just want to say, "write those letters!" i worked at a pharmacy for a while & even normal, minor complaints we took VERY serious, they WILL do something so make sure you let them know so they can fix the problem so that doesn't happen to you or anyone else again! :) Good Luck!
Votes: +2
SA
sara12345
28 Aug 2012
I hadn't thought of writing to the pharmacy, although I've spoken to the pharmacist. I guess that I should since the problem could have happened there as well as elsewhere. Thanks.
SA
sara12345
25 Aug 2012
THANK YOU all for all of your suggestions, which I am going to contact the manufacturer, the AMA and the FDA.
Votes: +2
ME
meyati
25 Aug 2012
There's a tab for the FDA on the right side of this page . Click that--- find the tab for suspected medicine tampering. Click that. If you can't find it- click on contact-Email them or whatever-subject line--- Tampered medicine Then tell them what happened. let the authorities deal with the pharmacy and the drug company. It save people from future health issues, and possible death.
SA
sara12345
26 Aug 2012
Thanks Meyati, I had already sent an email to the FDA, but by clicking on the tab that you suggested, I was able to download a more official form to fill out with much more detail. Sara
ME
meyati
26 Aug 2012
Great--a person needs to make waves every where possible. It's hard but it's better than being a sheep and letting someone get away with murder
I wouldn't go to the pharmacy-as it will give them a chance to cover their rear end. I'd contact the county AMA, and the state pharmacy-medical board. I'd also contact the manufacturer and ask if they had a bad batch, and tell them what happened. YES they will listen to you- Believe me they will. I know that you're very unsure and upset. You read how the FDA found counterfeit meds, etc. Those cases started because a person like you complained. I'd by pass the pharmacy-in case it is the one doing the tampering or what ever.
Votes: +2
KA
kaismama
25 Aug 2012
What do you mean by the ama?
ME
meyati
25 Aug 2012
American Medical Association--- each state has a branch and office-larger counties have offices. You can go there or call to complain about a doctor-hospital or get help with a problem like this. The AMA has a Internet medical page for patients. The local association works with the pharmaceutical association to solve problems like this. They've been doing this-listening to patient-doctor-pharmacy issues for about a 100 years. They do much more than have banquets.
KA
kaismama
25 Aug 2012
I thought they monitored docs, proposed policies and were mostly political in their actions.
ME
meyati
25 Aug 2012
Of course they're political-even grocery stores are political-but they are there to mediate or investigate a problem too. I've lived in several states, and met people with problems- not big enough to sue, but it could become dangerous for the patient. You should go to the AMA home page and see all the resources they have for patients. Yes, they'll protect a doctor-that's part of what they do. But they want communication about problems like this, and it doesn't cost-like when you see a lawyer- On this nobody has a cause.
Where is the medicine now, they will have it analyzed, it may have been the wrong medication altogether, which is a pharmacy problem.
Votes: +3
SA
sara12345
24 Aug 2012
The pills looked identical. I will check about having the medicine analyzed. Thanks.
KA
kaismama
24 Aug 2012
If you contact the manufacturer they should want to analyze it. They check out complaints like yours.
MA
MacIntosh12
25 Aug 2012
I agree with kaismama, the manufacturer would (or should!) want to take a look at the tablets, but hold back a few of the tablets, don't send all of them to the manufacturer. I just think you should hold onto a few in case they "lose" your medication, or it gets "lost" in the mail or something along those lines. Some BS thing like that. Good luck and I hope someone helps you out.
