Tesco has been forced to apologise after giving the wrong medication to a woman with chronic pain syndrome, making her violently sick and leaving her in hospital.
Sasha Jackson, 34, suffers from fibromyalgia, which causes pain all over her body.
After a flare up on New Year’s Eve paramedics came to her home in Clevedon, north Somerset and gave her an emergency prescription for anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen.
Her partner Darren Davies, 51, picked it up from the town’s Tesco superstore later that day.
But when they started making her vomit incessantly, he realised the box said Metformin – a treatment for type two diabetes.
Sasha Jackson (pictured), 34, suffers from fibromyalgia, which causes pain all over her body
After a flare up on New Year’s Eve paramedics came to her home in Clevedon, north Somerset and gave her an emergency persription for anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen
Her partner Darren Davies (pictured right with her), 51, picked it up from the town’s Tesco superstore later that day. But when they started making her vomit incessantly, he realised the box said Metformin – a treatment for type two diabetes
Tweeting about the disturbing mix-up he wrote: ‘Collected an emergency prescription from Tesco Clevedon following a visit from paramedics, prescription was for Naproxen, what we got was Metformin in a Naproxen box, my partner has been violently ill and had to visit hospital as a result of the side effects of taking this drug.’
It was only after googling the name of the drug on the box that the couple realised what had happened.
The side effects of Metformin include nausea and vomiting.
Shocked they called the NHS 101 hotline, who advised them to go straight to hospital.
Pictured: Tesco Superstore Clevedon where Ms Jackson was given the wrong pills
The 34-year-old was admitted to Southmead Hospial the same day, where staff were astounded at the mix-up.
Mr Davies told the Bristol Post: ‘The nurse kept apologising and it wasn’t even her fault or Southmead’s fault, but I think she was just absolutely horrified and felt bad, I guess, because it looks bad on the NHS.’
He went back to the store on January 2 to tell the store manager what had happened, where he got an apology and the promise of an investigation.
But he claims his partner is still ill, despite having stopped taking the pills.
He told the newspaper: ‘At the end of the day, Sasha wasn’t feeling good anyway and what she really needed was pain relief. What she got made her much worse.’
Tesco apologised and confirmed no one else had been affected by the mix up.
A spokesman said: ‘We are extremely sorry for the concern and upset this incident caused Sasha and Darren.
‘There was a selection error when dispensing this individual prescription and no other prescriptions from the pharmacy were affected.
‘We are conducting a full and thorough investigation, and will update Sasha and Darren with our findings.’
The 34-year-old was admitted to Southmead Hospial the same day, where staff were astounded at the mix-up