So I go pick up my anti-biotic prescription refill, and its half the expected dosage

[progree]

Last edited Thu Jan 28, 2016, 02:40 PM - Edit history (2)

This has happened twice in the last three times.

I've had a deep skin infection of my foot (Cellulitis) for a month now. Anyway, I had been taking 500mg of the anti-biotic Cephalexin (Keflex) 3 times daily. So I was surprised to pick up my refill and find it 250mg 3 times daily. I figured the Dr. knew what he was doing, and I took it for a week. But my foot progressed very little during that week (very little reduction in the swelling).

But the next office visit I mentioned that it had been 500mg, and he said something like "how did that happen?" and prescribed 500mg.

Fine. When I was done with that, I asked for a refill by phone. The person from the Dr.'s office who called back an hour later, "Ann", said my prescription has been renewed and sent to the pharmacy. I asked, "is it the same thing as before, 500 mg Cephalexin?" She said yes. Well, she was either lying or too lazy to actually look, because when I went to the pharmacy, a prescription for 250mg was waiting. [font color = red]On Edit: To be clear, I later checked "mychart" at the clinic's website and found that 250mg was prescribed on the refill. So it wasn't the pharmacy's mistake - they filled the prescription they were sent.[/font]

Finally the big question: it could be the same mistake again, or the doctor could have had his reasons for reducing the dose to 250mg. If the latter case, leaving Ann's fib aside, should I be mad that I wasn't informed that my dosage had been cut by half? So that I could appeal the decision? Before showing up at the pharmacy?

Anyway, I'm taking two 250mg pills 3 X daily (i.e. 500mg 3X daily as before)... will call the doctor's office tomorrow.

Should I make a huge stink about the surprise reduction and not being informed until I pick up my prescription at the pharmacy? Am I being naïve and stupid to think that I have the "right" to be informed (or just out of courtesy) when my refill is going to be different than what I had before?

Thanks

[font color = red]On Edit: just to clarify: the pharmacy didn't get it wrong. The doctor prescribed 250 mg on the refill, I don't know if intentionally or not yet. My question is: what if he did it intentionally (cut the dose in half), shouldn't I be informed?

ANOTHER EDIT, Update 1236 pm CT: It was a mistake, not intentional. See #14 for more. Thanks all for your input, I'm glad to hear that its not common to intentionally switch doses without telling the patient. But as #14 says, I've had bad experiences with that clinic including something similar that was intentional, so I just wanted to be prepared if what I'm experiencing now turned out to be intentional.[/font]

4 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	It's just the way things are, don't expect them to tell you in advance your prescription was changed. They are very busy you know.
	0 (0%)
	It is entirely reasonable to expect them to tell you they've changed your prescription
	4 (100%)
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