CVS Gives Cancer Drug to Kids Instead of Fluoride Tablets
Parents are outraged after CVS admitted to giving breast cancer tablets to kids instead of their fluoride chews.
A CVS pharmacy in New Jersey has admitted to mistakenly giving Tamoxifen, a drug used for breast cancer treatment, to clients instead of chewable fluoride tablets. Reports show that as many as 50 families received the wrong medication. "Fortunately, it's very unlikely that this specific drug would cause any serious or adverse effects when used for only a short period of time," noted professor Daniel Hussar.
CVS has issued a statement saying it was "deeply sorry for the mistake that occurred." There is currently an investigation into how the mix-up could have occurred. No child has been reported ill as a result of ingesting the Tamoxifen.
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Professor Hussar explained that fluoride tablets contain flavoring since they are meant for children and are made to be chewed. One thing possibly preventing children from ingesting the Tamoxifen could be its lack of flavoring and bitter flavor.
CVS Caremark is the second-largest chain of pharmacies in the United States; only Walgreens is ahead of the giant. This morning many were wondering how this mix-up could happen. "Uh, how do you mix up Tamoxifen and pediatric fluoride?" asked Yancy Faith. That's exactly what the pharmacy intends to find out.
"The health and safety of our customers is our highest priority and we are deeply sorry for the mistake that occurred at our Chatham, NJ pharmacy. We will continue to follow up with families who believe that their children may have ingested incorrect medication. We are actively investigating this matter to determine how the mistake occurred in order to take corrective actions," read a statement by CVS.
"Prescription errors are a rare occurrence, however since any process involving people is not immune from the possibility of human error, we are committed to continually improving quality measures to help ensure that prescriptions are dispensed safely and accurately."
