Pharmacy bosses are now reviewing their procedures'

Mum of two Sharon Ogden was supposed to get anti-depressant tablets from the Healthways Chemist in Middleton Grange Shopping Centre but was instead handed water tablets for people suffering from kidney disease and heart failure.



The 33-year-old said she handed over a prescription for Sertraline tablets, but was given Spironolactone pills, and said that although she has had no side affects it could have had serious circumstances.

Bosses at the Hartlepool chemist say they have apologised to Ms Ogden and are looking at procedures to prevent it happening again.

Ms Ogden said she noticed the description on the packet was different to her normal prescription, but the label stuck to the box had her name on it and she thought it was just a different brand of the tablets she normally gets.

But after taking one she said she was alarmed to read in the instructions that tests of the pills had seen rats develop tumours when they were taken in large doses.

Sharon, of Greenwood Road, Hartlepool, said: "I thought 'what have I taken?' I spoke to my doctor and he said they were strong water tablets so I should be OK and I spoke to the pharmacy and he said that I should be all right and bring them in and he would swap them.

"I was worried all that night and I didn't sleep.

"It could have been something more serious and it could have been given to a child."

"I think the pharmacist needs to check and I think people need to check before they leave with what they have been given by the pharmacist."

Pharmacist Chris Bishop said: "A mistake was made and I did apologise to Ms Ogden.

"I am currently looking at why it happened and how we can stop it happening again.

"This is something that we take really seriously. We regularly look at procedures, but it is something I am looking at in even greater depth to ensure that it doesn't happen again."

A spokeswoman for Hartlepool Primary Care Trust said no complaint had been made and they had no comment.