When someone STEALS your medication.

[Birch Run Farm]

This is pretty bad.

I've just had a complete knee replacement and spent two and a half weeks in the hospital and rehab. I'm home and chock full of various medications to get me going again. As you can guess, some of them are narcotics for pain. I have so many bottles of pills they are lined up on my counter so I can make sure I take the right ones at the right time. I've had people in and out of the house. People for PT, blood draws, neighbors and other friends and co-workers. Last evening was the 6th day home from rehab. Joint replacement is very painful.

One of my pain meds is for once a day just before bed. It is supposed to help get me through the night so it is the strong one. I was looking at the bottle last night and noticed the bottle lists the count I bought and paid for as 20 tablets. As I said, I've been home 6 days at this point and getting ready for my sixth night dose. Clearly the pills in the bottle aren't looking like I've only taken five, going on six. So I dump the bottle and count.

Eight pills are missing.

So I have sat here pretty much ticked off someone would do this and that I didn't notice until it was too late. Did the Pharmacist short me? Did a neighbor take them? Was it a co-worker? I can't prove anything and if I ask, it is just going to make bad relations over all. What did I learn?

Trust NO ONE.

Count the narcotic pills when you get them from the pharmacy before you leave.

Find a different way to keep track of the medication schedule.

I won't be able to look at ANY of the people 'who could have' the same ever again.

 

[Sillystunt]

i doubt the pharmacy would do that, well at least i hope. Do you have any kids? Where do you keep them? That is concerning and troubling someone would do that to you but addicts don't care!


I have all medications locked in a key lock closet. I have the key hidden..............

 

[mikenandrea]

aww man.. I have had this happen to me before as well.. It was the LAST person I would have expected

 

[PotterWatch]

A friend of mine used to watch her neighbor's daughter all the time. She and the neighbor got to be pretty good friends, and the neighbor offered to help her reorganize her kitchen (she has a home-based organization business). After all the organizing was done, my friend realized that a couple of bottles of prescription pain meds were gone. Although fairly certain of who took them, like you, she hasn't accused her but she has turned down other offers to help reorganize other parts of the house.

 

[debilorrah]

That totally sucks. My steps kids mom once took my blood pressure meds not knowing what it was, or caring (she is an addict).

 

[equine chick]

First of all the pharmacy would not short you. The precautions they take today it would be really unlikely they would make a mistake. The pharmacist checks and double checks the count. If you are not sure it would not be a family member doing this and you have people coming into the house and they are unaccounted for such as using your bathroom ect then you can't really accuse anybody. But if you know without a doubt it;s not someone in the house and could be a worker such as home health, pt I would report it to the company or doctor supplyinjg the help. STEALING NARCOTICS IS A CRIME! Keep the meds locked up at all times. So sorry this happened to you.

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
This is a good idea. I had a friend who had to keep her meds locked up because she was a foster parent. She used a small portable case, like you get in an office store, and she put a combination lock on it.

I'm so sorry something like this happened to you! Your faith in human kindness really takes a hit when something like this happens.

Are you going to be able to refill it early when you run out?

 

[chixie]

Quote:
I was told to always count my meds at the pharmacy when I buy them because they do make mistakes... but yes that is alot for it to just be a mistake.. theeses days you really can't trust anyone when it comes to narcotics

 

[dntd]

That's just horrible, we don't invite people at all to our house. Hopefully the dr can get you more meds, I hope your insurance covers them, mine wouldn't though, if you drug plan doesn't, get the dr to prescribe a lower dose for the month and take 2 instead of one to cover for the 8 days.

 

[gritsar]

We have two narcotics in this house. One is my prescription and the other is DH's.
I have started locking them up, due to a certain someone that visits often. Even if she wasn't taking them herself, I know for a fact that the one DH takes sell for $5 a piece on the streets in town and this certain someone is always desperate for money.
It's a difficult situation and the only solution I've found is to lock them up. Stinks, but it is what it is.