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Hair Loss News Archives
June 2005
Woman claims CVS gave her
bald meds for allergy script
June 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.''