Birth Control recall

[wolfie]

Did a search before posting, and the only mention was in "Sucky customers" about a customer who didn't take the news well.

Pfizer has recalled about 1 million packets of Lo/Orval-28 and its generic equivalent. The problem has to do with the packaging - some of the packets had the pills out of order.

If you're on this particular form of birth control pill, check with your pharmacist to see if the batch code on your pill packets matches the recalled pills.

[blas]

I nearly had a coronary until I was able to look up that it was Pfizer pills and not Watson ones. Whew.

[Shalom]

Pfizer has recalled about 1 million packets of Lo/Orval-28 and its generic equivalent. The problem has to do with the packaging - some of the packets had the pills out of order.

If you're on this particular form of birth control pill, check with your pharmacist to see if the batch code on your pill packets matches the recalled pills.

In this case, even if the pilpak is from the recalled lot(s), you can still inspect the tablets; if you've got 21 white and 7 pink in that order, you don't have to get a different one. It's not like most drug recalls, where there might be something defective internal to the tablet that's not obvious.

I just now had a customer come barging in here declaring "You gave me the wrong medicine." Now to a pharmacist, them's fightin' words. When you hear someone say that, half the time they're just plain mistaken, 40% of the time they've gotten a different generic to the one they've become used to, 9% of the time the doctor has switched their med or their dose without telling them, and maybe 1% is really the wrong item. (In actuality dispensing errors are far less than 1%.)

So what happened? She normally gets Low-Ogestrel, which is Watson's generic of Lo/Ovral. After the recall, which also covered the generic marketed by Akrimax, lots of women wound up switching to the Low-Ogestrel, which in turn is now backordered. We therefore gave her the Cryselle, which is Barr's generic, and all I can get at the moment.

She says "Oh, we've been through this. The cryselle doesn't work for me."

I'm thinking, how the didn't it work for her? Did she get pregnant? No? Then it worked. And if the minute variations between one brand and another of the same drug and strength are enough to get her pregnant, then she's skating WAY too close to the edge on dosing and needs a stronger tablet prescribed. (Not to mention, how do you know there aren't minute variations from lot to lot of the same brand? It only has to be between 90% and 110% of the stated strength to be legally acceptable.)

So I tell her about the recall. I show her the Akrimax (haven't checked if it's from the recalled lot or not, but I can see well enough that it's got the right tablets in there). She says "Oh that doesn't work either."

I tell her, "I'm sorry. That's what I've got, and I can't get anything else at the moment." and walked back to my workstation. Maybe a bit abrupt, but I haven't slept much in the past few days (son throwing up Thurs. night, daughter throwing up Fri. night, me getting the runs Sat. night and just now back from my ninth visit to the porcelain throne in as many hours) and I just haven't the patience for arguing right now. She took them and left.

On an unrelated point, generic unflavored pediatric electrolyte solution tastes like crap.

[blas]

What does she mean that they "don't work"???

Did she get knocked up? Periods get worse? Or did she just forget to take them?

[Food Lady]

You know, if I was unsure, I'd walk in and say something like "these don't seem right," which puts out the idea that my perception is wrong or I have the wrong info, instead of attacking the pharmacist. Some people are just always on the offensive. Asking questions is way better than accusing staff, which instantly puts them on the defensive.

[Dreamstalker]

The first thing I thought about the 'they don't work' comment is that she was probably originally prescribed the pill for hormonal issues. But...if it's essentially the same thing

Unless she's been on the original 'brand' for so long that she's convinced That One is the only one that actually works...

[ArcticChicken]

On an unrelated point, generic unflavored pediatric electrolyte solution tastes like crap.

I don't have a problem with the taste, but the texture weirds me the fuck out. I don't know if it was the brand I got or what, but it was just slightly thicker than water, and when I'm sick I usually hate drinking cold things, so I had it at room temperature. I just could not shake the feeling that I was drinking a cup full of saliva.

[Little Retail Rabbit]

I would always prefer to stay on the brand I use (Microgynon 30) as I when I say it "works" for me, I would say I'm very suited to it, and I'm very happy with it. If I felt the pharmacist was reliable in offering me a substitute, however, I would take it.

[CorneliaMarieRocks]

I've been through similar when getting my pain meds filled. When I was first started on hydrocodone the pills I was always given were pink (and everyone in my family who takes pain meds were given the same ones) & for a time they worked. Then I guess the pharmacy switched drug companies or something because we started getting blue pills from Watson & again, they worked.
Well, last time I got my meds filled, they must've been out of the blue ones because they gave me the pink ones (and I didn't know this till we got home) & they didn't work worth a damn, I had to take one every 2-3 hrs instead of every 4-6 hrs like I usually do. Plus, the 5mg hydrocodones don't work the same as the 10 mg ones, I've tried taking 2 5mgs & nothing.

Bottom line, we specifically requested from now on to be given the blue pills (even my mother said the others don't work the same). Weird how the color can dictate whether it works right or not.

[Little Retail Rabbit]

I'm sure I read on Cracked.com recently that some medications come in certain colours depending on the affect intended (i.e sleeping pills tend to be blue...)...

[CorneliaMarieRocks]

hmm, I've not heard of that, so Ill have to check that out..All I know is, blue pills work & any other color does nada. Plus, (any this is gonna sound funny) but my sleep pattern gets screwed up when I run out of the meds (meaning I don't rest well, I tend to doze in & out rather than sleep)

[Sapphire Silk]

hmm, I've not heard of that, so Ill have to check that out..All I know is, blue pills work & any other color does nada. Plus, (any this is gonna sound funny) but my sleep pattern gets screwed up when I run out of the meds (meaning I don't rest well, I tend to doze in & out rather than sleep)

You may be developing tolerance to the hydrocodone. The particular brand you are getting may be formulated in such a way that it metabolizes more effectively with the blue ones, as opposed to the pink ones.

The sleep pattern disturbance is caused by withdrawal.