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June 2005


Woman claims CVS gave her bald meds for allergy script


J
une 25, 2005

As investigators probe a rash of medication mistakes by pharmacy giant CVS, a Boston woman said a Downtown Crossing store sent her Hair Loss this week with a men's hair-loss drug instead of an anti-allergy prescription.

``I'm very upset. Things like this should never happen,'' said Chanti Parent, 37, of East Boston. ``They're not only giving you the wrong drug, they're giving you something that could be detrimental to your health.''

Parent said she was given the hair-loss drug Propecia instead of Singulair, which was prescribed by her doctor to help with asthma and seasonal allergies. She said she happened to notice the error when she turned the presciption bottle in her hand before taking the drug.

``If I had been blind or elderly or the (label) was moved over a little, I never would have known,'' she said.

CVS acknowledged the mistake and apologized to Parent in a statement yesterday.

Parent's allegations surfaced as the state Board of Registration in Pharmacy investigates more than 30 complaints of medication mix-ups at 24 different CVS stores statewide.

``Generally, we're talking about prescription errors, people getting the wrong (medications),'' board spokeswoman Donna Rheaume said yesterday. ``We're looking at each one of the complaints, and we will investigate all of them.''

In a statement, CVS pledged to cooperate with the state's investigation. ``The health and safety of our customers is our highest priority,'' the statement said. ``We have more than 330 CVS locations in Massachusetts ... and accurately dispense tens of millions of prescriptions every year.''