Perumbavoor: Many people often complain about the difficulty of reading doctors’ handwriting on prescriptions. But in a shocking incident, despite the prescription being written clearly, a veterinary drug was mistakenly given instead of the correct medicine to a two-year-old child.

Dr. Sunil PK, a pediatric consultant at Perumbavoor Taluk Hospital, shared the experience on social media. According to his post, a two-year-old child was prescribed Noworm (Albendazole), a deworming medicine commonly given to children. However, the pharmacy handed over a veterinary medicine sold under the same brand name.

The incident came to light after the child’s mother, suspicious about the medicine, sent a query along with a photo to the doctor on WhatsApp. Alarmed by what he saw, Dr. Sunil realised that the shop had supplied the veterinary drug instead of the prescribed human formulation.

In his post, the doctor pointed out the serious concerns raised by such errors. When contacted, the pharmacy staff claimed they had given exactly what the prescription stated. “This raises a troubling question, are the people dispensing medicines at our pharmacies actually qualified?” Dr. Sunil remarked.

The child’s mother later told him that she had cross-checked only because she felt uncertain about the medicine. “I was able to confirm with you because I can read English. But what if someone cannot?” She asked the doctor a question that highlights the risks faced by many patients.

Dr Sunil concluded his note by urging everyone to read the labels of medicines carefully before consuming or giving it to children. “Such vigilance is always better,” he said.

Doctor’s social media post

“Doctor, is this the medicine you prescribed for my child’s worms?”

When I saw this WhatsApp message along with the picture, I was honestly shocked. A two-year-old child. The doctor had prescribed Noworm, an Albendazole medicine commonly given to children for deworming. But what was dispensed instead? A veterinary drug with the same brand name!

The ingredients were completely different. One of them was Febantel, a drug not approved for human use in the US or UK. I am not sure about what’s happening with such regulations in India. The second ingredient, pyrantel, is indeed used in humans, but that is not the point here. The real question is: how could a medicine meant for puppies be given to a two-year-old child?

I immediately called the parents. They told me that the pharmacy assured them they had given exactly what was written. They also mentioned something about “Piquat” written on the prescription. Later, when I saw the prescription myself, I realised the confusion. I had written “PICA+” because the mother had said the child was eating wall plaster and soil. This condition, usually due to iron deficiency, is medically called Pica. What I wrote as “PICA+” was read as “Piquat”!

This is the first time in my career I have seen such a shocking error, replacing a child’s medicine with a veterinary drug. It raises a disturbing question: are the people dispensing medicines in our pharmacies actually qualified?

The mother asked me a very valid question: “Doctor, I was able to check and confirm because I can read English. But what about those who cannot?”

How can a human deworming tablet and a veterinary drug have the exact same brand name? Whatever the case, before taking any medicine or giving it to children, it is always safe to read the label carefully.