Pregabalin (Lyrica)

[happy_bunny]

Hi,
Had a phonecall this morning (Sat) from a lady who normally takes pregabalin 75mg caps, one in the morning and one at night. She collected her script yesterday from the pharmacy up the road and didn't check it and now finds that she has been given pregabalin 150mg caps instead. (because I didn't dispense it I don't know if pharmacy error or prescription error or intended change)
As my pharmacy is the only one open on a Saturday she wants advice on whether she could just take 150mg as a single dose today and tomorrow and sort it out properly on Monday.
All the info I can find seems to state that pregabalin should be given in at least two divided doses but I'm not sure if that is due to peak-plasma level toxicity or because it has a short half-life and no-one is available to ask because it is Saturday and everyone apparently goes to the moon at weekends.
In the end I got her to come in and did an emergency supply of pregabalin 75mg to last til Monday.
Did I do the right thing? What would everyone else have done?

[GAZ]

I think you dealt with the situation great - I hope this lady appreciates the time you spent sorting this out ie she brings her scripts to you in future!
If the prescriber had increased the strength why didn't they tell the patient (unless they did indicate to her that this was likely to happen in the future and she forgot!?)!!??
If she get's her scripts regularly from the other pharmacy why didn't they query this with her at the time of dispensing!?

[Sir_Dispensalot]

bunny, it's down to the half life of the drug - it only stays for around 12 hours at therapeutic concentrations. Dose is safe up to 600mg bd if i remember correctly, but patient has to be brought slowly up to help reduce adverse effects such as cns toxicity.

You did everything exactly as I would have done - and you've probably secured yourself a new regular patient.

[pharm]

yeah, that's exactly what I would have done! All these things just have to happen on a saturday don't they!

[bobbin]

Hi,
Had a phonecall this morning (Sat) from a lady who normally takes pregabalin 75mg caps, one in the morning and one at night. She collected her script yesterday from the pharmacy up the road and didn't check it and now finds that she has been given pregabalin 150mg caps instead. (because I didn't dispense it I don't know if pharmacy error or prescription error or intended change)
As my pharmacy is the only one open on a Saturday she wants advice on whether she could just take 150mg as a single dose today and tomorrow and sort it out properly on Monday.
All the info I can find seems to state that pregabalin should be given in at least two divided doses but I'm not sure if that is due to peak-plasma level toxicity or because it has a short half-life and no-one is available to ask because it is Saturday and everyone apparently goes to the moon at weekends.
In the end I got her to come in and did an emergency supply of pregabalin 75mg to last til Monday.
Did I do the right thing? What would everyone else have done?

Assuming that you charged the patient enough to cover the cost of the Lyrica, I think you did the right thing. Unfortunately, Lyrica is a very expensive drug and there's a high probability that you'll never receive a prescription...... especially if it was a dispensing error at the other pharmacy - which they will have to sort out themselves ie. no new prescription issued by doctor.

Bobbin

[happy_bunny]

Don't worry Bobbin, I got the money lol - she actually works at the GP surgery and I've long since stopped believing in their promises about producing scripts!
I only gave her 4 capsules but it still came to about £8!

[bobbin]

Don't worry Bobbin, I got the money lol - she actually works at the GP surgery and I've long since stopped believing in their promises about producing scripts!
I only gave her 4 capsules but it still came to about £8!

I agree. I would only believe a promise if it came directly from the prescriber. No one else is in a position to make promises.