A Wiltshire woman says she was left in “chronic pain” after a row over “missing medication” from a pharmacy.
Last month Danielle Dawkins visited Allied Pharmacy in Durrington to pick up medication used to treat her fibromyalgia.
But when she and her husband returned home, she claimed she was “missing” her 200mg prescription of Pregabalin, taken to treat nerve pain.
Without this medication, Mrs Dawkins suffers serious pain, but when she reported the issue pharmacy staff maintained the medication was dispensed.
She said: “When I don’t have it I’m in pain, a lot of pain, and sometimes it’s so bad I can’t get out of bed.
“I was in tears on the phone, I was in serious pain and they didn’t seem to care, instead I was basically told I was a liar.
“The more upset I get the worse my fibromyalgia gets so it’s like a vicious cycle, I could have been in chronic pain for a month.”
Mrs Dawkins has since obtained Pregabalin through an alternative doctor but remains angry at Allied Pharmacy’s response.
The pharmacy insists Danielle’s complaint was investigated and, while it believes her claim was genuine, no wrongdoing was found.
Danielle Dawkins (Image: Newsquest)
A spokesperson said: "The complaint was investigated rigorously.
“Following careful checks of processes, systems, and stock, it showed that our pharmacy staff had correctly followed procedures and did everything possible to check for missing medication.
“None was found. Our enquiry concluded that the drug was indeed dispensed and given at the time of collection and that the customer's claim is sincere but, regrettably, mistaken.
“We are really sorry for the distress Danielle has experienced as a result.”
The chain emphasised because Pregabalin is a controlled medication, an emergency prescription could not have been issued by law.
A spokesperson added: “Pharmacies are required to be thorough and diligent, and we are confident that we were.
“We have advised Danielle that issues of this kind can be referred to the Health Ombudsman if she continues to feel unhappy and concerned."
Mrs Dawkins remains unsatisfied with this response.
She added: “They haven’t changed their stance after a complete investigation, I was told by the head of the pharmacy that it could have fallen out of the bag.
“It’s a sealed bag with no rips or tears, there’s no way it could have fallen out.
“I went down to the pharmacy with all the empty cartons to show nothing else would fit in.”
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