Bay State CVS pharmacies to be monitored in wake of errors

BOSTON – A patient safety group will monitor CVS pharmacies in Massachusetts after a state investigation confirmed dozens of prescription errors, including one that sent a 4-year-old girl to the hospital last year, officials said Thursday.

Under an agreement between CVS and the state Board of Pharmacy, the nonprofit Institute of Safe Medication Practices will evaluate and monitor pharmacy practices, policies and procedures at the 309 pharmacies CVS operates in the Bay State, officials at CVS and the state Department of Public Health said.

After a two-year review, the organization will provide CVS with a report of its findings and any recommendations for improvement.

“All in all, we do think there is safe medication dispensing in Massachusetts. However, there are always opportunities to make things better,” said Jean Pontikas, director of the Department of Public Health Division of Health Professions Licensure.

The Board of Pharmacy, an agency of the Public Health Department, began investigating reports of prescription errors in June after it received dozens of consumer complaints.

The board verified that 62 errors or other problems had occurred since 2002. The pharmacy has filled about 85 million prescriptions in the state since that time, a CVS representative said.

The board defines an error as “the incorrect dispensing of a prescribed medication that is received by a patient.”

One case reviewed by the board involved a 4-year-old Brockton girl, who was hospitalized and hooked up to a heart monitor after her mother was given the wrong medication by a CVS pharmacist in July.

Cyira Gillard was supposed to be taking Clonidine for her hyperactive behavior, but received another man’s prescription for Flecainide, which is used to treat irregular heartbeats.

CVS said in a statement at the time that the prescription was filled correctly, but a prescription meant for another patient was inadvertently provided at the point of sale.