Store apologises for tablet error

A supermarket has apologised to a man with Parkinson's Disease after a pharmacy dispensed the wrong strength of a drug controlling the condition.

Paul Martin, 38, from Brickhill in Bedford, takes a drug called Sinemet to help combat symptoms of the disease.

After picking up his prescription from Tesco at Riverfield Drive he began to suffer symptoms and discovered he had been given a half strength dose.

Tesco apologised and said it was reviewing its checking procedures.

Mr Martin is considering legal action against the store.

He takes three tablets a day to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease but began to find walking difficult and had involuntary muscle contractions within days of receiving his new medication.

Symptoms returned

The father-of-two's condition significantly deteriorated after he collected the medication and he realised the pharmacist had given him the wrong tablets.

He had been given half Sinemet which contains a lesser dose of the drug, increasing the risk of Parkinson's symptoms.

He said: "I could have ended up in hospital and was absolutely fuming when I found out they had given me the wrong tablets.

"They were in the correct box so I didn't realise until I'd been taking them for four days. This should not have happened and I am considering legal action."

A spokesman for Tesco said: "We have very strict processes in place which are monitored and reviewed regularly to avoid any sort of dispensing error.

"However, it would appear these may have broken down on this occasion and we are conducting an investigation."