Pregnant Woman Gets Abortion Drug Instead of Antibiotic
By: Susan Donaldson James

Summary: Susan Donaldson James, the author of "Pregnant Woman Gets Abortion Drug Instead of Antibiotic", describes the aftermaths of a pregnant woman who was mistakingly given an abortion drug. James states that the woman, Mareena Silva, may lose her six-week-old fetus because of this mix-up. This drug is sometimes used for early-stage pregnancy termination and may cause some serious side effects. Silva went to the pharmacy to pick up her bacterial infection medicine. The prescription was filled at a Safeway. Silva was rushed to a medical centre where she was given charcoal to absorb the fatal drug. James concludes the article by informing that the drugs given to Silva were intended for a 59-year-old woman who has the same last name and a similar first name as Silva. The supermarket chain apologized for the mistake, but Silva's pregnancy may be affected greatly.


Response: It is a tragic to hear that these stories exist. I think the pharmacists who prescribed the drugs are at fault. Pharmacists are paid a lot of money; they're supposed to know what kind of drugs they are handing out to patients. Pharmacists are supposed to hand out the right drugs. They can't expect patients to look up every drug they receive. Why do doctors and pharmacists go through years of school? The answer to that is so they can aid others and keep them healthy, and that is not by handing out the wrong drugs. Maybe the doctor is at fault also. It is a well known fact that doctors have some of the worst hand-writing. The lesson I learned from this article is to never put too much trust into the pharmacist and doctor. They are human after-all, and we all make mistakes.