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3:10pm Saturday 11th October 2008
A PREGNANT teenager feared for the safety of her unborn child after a pharmacy gave her the wrong drugs.
Sixteen-year-old Crystal Cooper was left doubled up with stomach and chest pains after the drug she thought was a gentle painkiller turned out to be one used to treat severe pain.
An investigation has now been launched and the pharmacy has apologised for the mistake.
Crystal, who is six months pregnant with her first child, had been prescribed the codeine-based drug Cocodamol to help ease back pain.
It was only when the drugs made her vomit that she checked the advice slip and realised, to her horror, that she had actually been taking the high-strength Solpadol.
The painkillers, issued to her by Day Lewis pharmacy in Marchwood, had even been given to her in a Cocodamol box.
Crystal said: “After taking the painkillers my head started to feel funny so I lay down on the sofa in the hope that I’d feel better.
“I had this searing pain in my chest which spread to my stomach. I was so worried about what was happening.
“I’m six months pregnant, this is my first child, and I just kept thinking the worst.
“All I could think about was my baby girl – I was petrified something might happen to her.”
Crystal’s partner Darren suggested driving her to the hospital but she was in too much pain to get into the car so an ambulance was called.
The paramedic managed to calm Crystal and stayed with her until the drugs wore off.
Crystal, of Parkside, Hounsdown, added: “Obviously it was just a mistake by the pharmacy but it can’t be allowed to happen again – mistakes like that just can’t be made.
“Thankfully both my baby and I were OK but it could easily have been so different.”
Day Lewis pharmacy superintendent Peter Glover, responsible for legal, ethical and practice advice in the company’s 165 national chains, apologised for the mistake.
He said: “There are very strict practices in place for the dispensing and checking process, however on this occasion there was a simple human error.
“We take it very seriously and we apologise completely for the mistake.
“The pharmacist involved is incredibly upset about what happened.
“We will do all we can to stop something like this happening again.”
A spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said that an investigation into the incident would now be launched.
A spokesman from the pharmacy at the Royal South Hants Hospital in Southampton said: “High doses of codeine can cause respiratory problems.
However, the stronger dose of codeine taken on this occasion would not really have been any danger to the mother or her child.”
itsmehere, hythe says...
3:43pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Jack Nelson wrote:Here we go again, the same old blah blah. So she's sixteen, get over it. Do you know her background??? Until you do, go slag someone else off who deserves it.What gives you the right to be so morally high and mighty?
"Crystal, who is six months pregnant with her first child", ... I would hope it was her first child at that age! When will she get married? How about getting a job, or will she just head straight to the benefit office and sponge off the tax payer?
Adrian Smith, Planet Earth says...
3:58pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Bright Spark, Stubbington says...
4:28pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Sly Stallone, New York says...
4:42pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Meandyou, says...
5:09pm Sat 11 Oct 08
juliusevola, Southampton says...
5:29pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Meandyou wrote:I doubt she can read............
Why did she not read the information leaflet that came with the tablets?!? Every thing says read before taking!!! Even if it was recommended by the chemist or doctor if you are pregnant you should take more notice of what the side affects are!
paul b, Mottisfont says...
5:39pm Sat 11 Oct 08
cuddleme00, poole says...
5:59pm Sat 11 Oct 08
itsmehere, hythe says...
6:11pm Sat 11 Oct 08
juliusevola wrote:neither can you. she was given the wrong tablets, the box and leaflet were correct, then again if you had of "read" the story you would have known this.
Meandyou wrote:I doubt she can read............
Why did she not read the information leaflet that came with the tablets?!? Every thing says read before taking!!! Even if it was recommended by the chemist or doctor if you are pregnant you should take more notice of what the side affects are!
ridiculous, soton says...
6:17pm Sat 11 Oct 08
M_T, Soton says...
6:37pm Sat 11 Oct 08
juliusevola wrote:Her partner Darren.....was a bit of a clue there. Or did you just see pregnant 16 year old and make a snap judgement?
A life on benefits awaits her (subsidised by us of course).Wheres the dad ? That is if she knows who he is of course.......
Strasser, SOUTHAMPTON says...
7:18pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Vonnie, Southampton says...
7:25pm Sat 11 Oct 08
1234, cyprus says...
7:47pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Shazza (the genuine article, not an imposter), says...
8:25pm Sat 11 Oct 08
1234 wrote:At least they know how to use grammer correctly.
what a total joke most of the people comenting on this story are, i am suprised they know how to use a computer and not still using pigeons to sent messages,all of you need to get with the times an move out of the 1940s when by the sound of it most of you were born. it is the 21st century now young females get pregnant at a earlier age, but this does not mean all the children are going to grow up as hoodie wearing chaves, give this young couple a chance and get a life , leave the computer alone and go back to nitting or smoking pipes.
1234, cyprus says...
8:39pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Shazza (the genuine article, not an imposter), says...
8:49pm Sat 11 Oct 08
1234 wrote:No I won't WRITE something decent on the poor girl involved, I'd rather pick up on your bad education!
shazza!!! that is a up to date name for some one on here, my grammer may not be the best in the world but at least i am not petty minded individual.go back to watching strictly come dancing. if you are going to comment atleast right something decent on the poor girl involved in this story.
1234, cyprus says...
8:53pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Em_Lou, West End says...
9:09pm Sat 11 Oct 08
The Real Denzil, Chilworth says...
9:17pm Sat 11 Oct 08
1234 wrote:What a misinformed, dumb comment.
what a total joke most of the people comenting on this story are, i am suprised they know how to use a computer and not still using pigeons to sent messages,all of you need to get with the times an move out of the 1940s when by the sound of it most of you were born. it is the 21st century now young females get pregnant at a earlier age, but this does not mean all the children are going to grow up as hoodie wearing chaves, give this young couple a chance and get a life , leave the computer alone and go back to nitting or smoking pipes.
Denzil, Chilworth says...
10:00pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Shazza (the genuine article, not an imposter) wrote:Shut up you illiterate goon.
1234 wrote: shazza!!! that is a up to date name for some one on here, my grammer may not be the best in the world but at least i am not petty minded individual.go back to watching strictly come dancing. if you are going to comment atleast right something decent on the poor girl involved in this story.No I won't WRITE something decent on the poor girl involved, I'd rather pick up on your bad education!
AndyP, Southampton says...
10:00pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Shazza (the genuine article, not an imposter), says...
10:02pm Sat 11 Oct 08
AndyP wrote:Of course it is...
So she was supposed to be taking Co-Codamol but was given Solpadol...which is a brand name for Co-Codamol. Doesn't seem to be much of a story here.
JB Soton, Gosport says...
10:40pm Sat 11 Oct 08
Shazza (the genuine article, not an imposter) wrote:Actually Andy is correct.
AndyP wrote:Of course it is...
So she was supposed to be taking Co-Codamol but was given Solpadol...which is a brand name for Co-Codamol. Doesn't seem to be much of a story here.
If the Daily Echo says it is....
JB Soton, Gosport says...
11:13pm Sat 11 Oct 08
JB Soton wrote:Sorry I should have typed 'are' Doctors not 'our' this is for the 'spelling brigade'
Shazza (the genuine article, not an imposter) wrote:Actually Andy is correct.
AndyP wrote:Of course it is...
So she was supposed to be taking Co-Codamol but was given Solpadol...which is a brand name for Co-Codamol. Doesn't seem to be much of a story here.
If the Daily Echo says it is....
There is no story here.This girl was not given anything that would hurt her or her unborn child if taken correctly.
There does seem to be a spate of this going on though, There was a story in the pompey News just yesterday of someone wanting birth control tablets and given warfarin by mistake some Pharmacists are working far too many hours as our Doctors etc its only a matter of time..........( security word is spot-care)Honestly!
Nazlok, eastleigh says...
11:02am Sun 12 Oct 08
littlemo107, southampton says...
12:07pm Sun 12 Oct 08
Nazlok, eastleigh says...
1:28pm Sun 12 Oct 08
littlemo107 wrote:Thank you for being a voice of reason. Appreciate that.
listen to all of you judgin her! yea she 16 so what some girls are having babies at 14! crystal works & lives with the father! not that is any of anyone elses concern! i no when i get my perscriptions i dont look at the box id trust what a chemist gave me!!!!
c.cooper, southamtpon says...
7:16pm Sun 12 Oct 08
The Real Denzil, Chilworth says...
10:21pm Sun 12 Oct 08
c.cooper wrote:Probably work harder and are better educated than you judging by your response.
JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW, I DON'T CLAIM ANY BENEFITS ME AND MY PARTNER LIVE IN A PRIVATELY RENTED FLAT THAT WE PAY FULLY FOR WE BOTH WORK. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE SOMEONE BY A STORY IN THE LOCAL PAPER CAUSE YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD IS THAT THE DOSAGE WAS FOUR TIMES HIGHER AND THE TABLETS WERE WRONG!!! ANOTHER THING IS YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF MY BACKGROUND OR HOW I GOT ON AT SCHOOL SO DO NOT COMMENT ON IT!YOU ALL NEED TO GET A LIFE AND SONT SPEND YOUR PETTY TIME JUDGING SOMEONE WHO YOU DON'T KNOW. YOU OBVIOUSLY DO NOT WORK OR ATLEAST HARD ENOUGH FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO SPEND ALL YOUR TIME ON THIS SITE SLAGGING PEOPLE YOU DO NOT KNOW OFF!! AND FOR THOS WHO HAVE WRITTEN MESSAGES WISHING ME LUCK OR STANDING UP FOR ME I REALY APPRECIATE IT AND I HAVE TAKEN NOTICE!! THE ONLY REASON THE STORY WAS EVEN PUT IN THE PAPER WAS FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT ALWAYS READ THE LETTER INSIDE BECAUSE MAYBE IT IS THEIR USUAL PERSCRIPTION OR HAVE TAKEN IT BEFORE LIKE I HAD CO-CODAMOL, IS TO CHECK THE TABLETS!
the missing ingridient, portswood says...
5:32am Mon 13 Oct 08
obelisker, Southampton says...
6:47am Mon 13 Oct 08
Nazlok, eastleigh says...
9:04am Mon 13 Oct 08
The Real Denzil wrote:Love the fact you are picking up on Crystals grammar, yet yours is no better. And if you were really that fesidious about it you would have highlighted the other mistakes in the post, "to err is human" and all that. But your obviously a troll who likes to hide behind the internet, as there are so many who do so as there is no repercussions to there actions. I hope you get some cheap thrill out of your remarks.
c.cooper wrote:Probably work harder and are better educated than you judging by your response.
JUST TO LET YOU ALL KNOW, I DON'T CLAIM ANY BENEFITS ME AND MY PARTNER LIVE IN A PRIVATELY RENTED FLAT THAT WE PAY FULLY FOR WE BOTH WORK. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUDGE SOMEONE BY A STORY IN THE LOCAL PAPER CAUSE YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD IS THAT THE DOSAGE WAS FOUR TIMES HIGHER AND THE TABLETS WERE WRONG!!! ANOTHER THING IS YOU HAVE NO IDEA OF MY BACKGROUND OR HOW I GOT ON AT SCHOOL SO DO NOT COMMENT ON IT!YOU ALL NEED TO GET A LIFE AND SONT SPEND YOUR PETTY TIME JUDGING SOMEONE WHO YOU DON'T KNOW. YOU OBVIOUSLY DO NOT WORK OR ATLEAST HARD ENOUGH FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO SPEND ALL YOUR TIME ON THIS SITE SLAGGING PEOPLE YOU DO NOT KNOW OFF!! AND FOR THOS WHO HAVE WRITTEN MESSAGES WISHING ME LUCK OR STANDING UP FOR ME I REALY APPRECIATE IT AND I HAVE TAKEN NOTICE!! THE ONLY REASON THE STORY WAS EVEN PUT IN THE PAPER WAS FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT ALWAYS READ THE LETTER INSIDE BECAUSE MAYBE IT IS THEIR USUAL PERSCRIPTION OR HAVE TAKEN IT BEFORE LIKE I HAD CO-CODAMOL, IS TO CHECK THE TABLETS!
It would be easy to guess I can judge your academic achievment, confusing you aye? How you got on in school.
Maybe it's you who needs to get a life, or rather an education.
Oh and it's because not CAUSE.
P.S I doubt you have a partner, just from your rant I can tell you're fat and ugly and it's doubtful you work.
Truthful, says...
11:15am Mon 13 Oct 08
goard, Southampton says...
12:14pm Mon 13 Oct 08
obelisker, Southampton says...
1:39pm Mon 13 Oct 08
Truthful, says...
11:15am Tue 14 Oct 08
goard wrote:Please read my post again !!
As you can see, the realities of early years pregnancies are treated without respect - I hate to add to the girl's unfortunate circumstances and only hope their mums can take on this daughter's unfortunate accident - and accident it is - one's pregancy will, once again, be the parents responsibility. IT IS NOT THE STATES RESPONSIBILITY.
goard
Truthful, says...
11:22am Tue 14 Oct 08
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Jack Nelson, Cowes says...
3:31pm Sat 11 Oct 08