Years ago, a local K-Mart where I lived gave a man the dose of coumadin and killed him. Lawsuit followed. I have twice received the wrong prescription at Walgreens. Both were prescriptions for my daughter, who has asthma. Both times we realized it was the wrong meds prior to her taking them. I don’t use Walgreens anymore. And I ALWAYS check prescriptions. One development in our country that really saddens me is the disappearance of independent businesses. The corner drug stores, grocery stores. Now, there’s a Walgreens on every corner, and they really don’t give a crap about customer service.

A jury awarded $25.8 million Friday to the family of a cancer patient who was given a wrong prescription, had a stroke and died several years later, lawyers said.

Beth Hippely was prescribed Warfarin, a blood thinner, in 2002 to treat breast cancer. The prescription filled at a Walgreens pharmacy was 10 times what her doctor prescribed, court documents said.

The Polk County Circuit Court jury found the prescription error caused a cerebral hemorrhage resulting in permanent bodily injury, disability and physical pain. The mother of three died in January at the age of 46.

A 19-year-old pharmacy technician, with little training, misfiled the prescription, according to court documents.

The lawsuit was filed in 2003 by Hippely, her husband Deane Hippely and their children against the Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreen Co. for negligent breach of duty and wrongful death.

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