A Manitoba couple is advocating for stricter regulations in pharmacy practices after their daughter suffered an overdose due to a medication error. The incident occurred at a Shoppers Drug Mart, where the pharmacy dispensed a pill with a dosage ten times higher than what was prescribed by her doctor.

Kevin Barkley, the girl's father, expressed his concerns, stating, "This isn't just a 'my bad scenario,' this is a bigger situation. You take 10 times the dosage and you don't get a lot of variance there to stay alive." His 10-year-old daughter was prescribed a two-milligram pill to be taken daily. The specific medication name has not been disclosed to protect the child's medical privacy. Medical literature indicates that overdosing on this type of medication can lead to serious health issues, including drowsiness, hypertension, tachycardia, and seizures.

Earlier this month, a family friend picked up the medication from the Shoppers Drug Mart located in Winnipeg's Dominion Centre. Instead of the prescribed two-milligram pills, the friend received a bottle containing 20-milligram capsules. On August 13, the friend administered one of the pills to the girl while she was visiting. Following the dose, Barkley reported that his daughter became lethargic and "blacked out" for most of the day.

The next morning, when the girl was given another pill, she vomited. Her mother, Andrea Thidrickson, recalled her panic upon learning about the dosage error. "I just panicked, my heart started racing. The dose was much higher than what it should have been … but I didn't know how serious it could be," she said.

Thidrickson contacted The Manitoba Poison Centre and her daughter's pediatrician, both of whom advised her to take the girl to the hospital immediately. At Winnipeg's Children's Hospital, doctors confirmed the overdose and explained that since the medication had been in her system for over 12 hours, they could only monitor her until it cleared.

"That's when it got pretty scary. All I could think about was, 'is she going to be OK.' That's my baby," Thidrickson said. Fortunately, the girl made a full recovery, but her mother noted that the experience left her daughter fearful of taking the medication again, leading to a decision to discontinue it with the pediatrician's approval.

The family reported that doctors were initially concerned about the girl's heart rate after the overdose. They were relieved to learn that the girl had vomited the second pill, which likely prevented more severe consequences. Barkley emphasized the importance of raising awareness about such incidents to prevent similar occurrences in the future. "It was very apparent how easily it could have changed our lives forever," he said.

After the incident, the family reached out to Loblaws Ltd., the parent company of Shoppers Drug Mart, and the Manitoba College of Pharmacists to report the error. Barkley described their initial interactions as unsatisfactory, stating, "Right off the bat, it seemed like nobody made a big deal about it. Nobody really cared. We just got blank apologies." However, after speaking publicly about their experience, they received apologies and were informed that an investigation was underway.

A spokesperson for Loblaws Ltd. stated that the company takes the matter seriously and has implemented corrective measures at the pharmacy involved. However, specific details about these measures were not disclosed. The College of Pharmacists has guidelines that require pharmacy managers to develop and implement changes to minimize the risk of medication errors.

The couple is filing a complaint with the College of Pharmacists and is determined to push for changes in pharmacy practices. They noted that medication incidents are not uncommon in Manitoba, with 1,348 reported between October 1 and March 31. Of these, nearly two-thirds occurred during the prescription preparation and dispensing stages, with 230 incidents related to incorrect dosages or medication frequency.

Barkley called for improvements in pharmacy workflows, suggesting that additional verification steps should be implemented to ensure accurate dispensing. "There were so many avenues where this could have been caught," he said. "It wasn't and to me, that is just blatant neglect. They should be double-checking to see who this medication is going to … and that dosage should have never been given to a child."