Nationwide — Betty Thomas, a 78-year-old African American woman from Decatur, Georgia, says she unknowingly used fentanyl patches for nearly three weeks after an alleged pharmacy mistake. She says the wrong prescription from Publix left her seriously ill and caused her family to fear they might lose her.
Thomas said she believed the patches were part of her hormone treatment when she picked them up from the pharmacy. She later discovered the medication was actually prescribed for another customer, Betty Davis, and contained fentanyl, a strong opioid.
After using the patches for several weeks, Thomas said her health began to decline. She experienced severe nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and trouble using the bathroom.
“I’m throwing up, I’m nauseous, I’m dizzy, I can’t go to the bathroom, I’m sick,” Thomas told 11Alive.
Her condition became so concerning that her son took her to the hospital. During the visit, the family learned she had been given fentanyl patches intended for someone else instead of her own medication.
The incident was especially frightening for Thomas’ family because they had recently lost her husband. Her granddaughter, Deanna Thomas, said they were terrified they could lose Thomas as well.
“We were all afraid we were going to lose you,” Deanna told her grandmother.
After the alleged pharmacy mistake, Deanna began contacting Publix’s corporate office to discuss what happened. The family said Publix offered Thomas $4,000 on July 7 to help with medical costs and compensation.
Deanna said the offer did not reflect the seriousness of what her grandmother experienced. She said the family wanted more accountability from the company.
“It was straight up a slap in our face, and there was no remorse. It was, ‘You know, we’re giving you more than the $750 that’s standard,'” Deanna Thomas said.
Thomas and her granddaughter later gave the fentanyl patches to police for proper disposal. Thomas said she is still recovering from the effects of the medication mix-up.
Publix has not released a public statement regarding the incident.