Pharmacy Mixes Up Cancer Meds with Kids’ Flouride

CVS officials say only a few children ingested pills for breast cancer treatment that they mistakenly received from a Chatham pharmacy instead of the fluoride pills that were prescribed.

No injuries related to the mixup had been reported as of Saturday afternoon. The two pills are similar looking but have distinctively different tastes.

Investigators are still working to determine how and why the errors occurred at the CVS pharmacy in Chatham. The pharmacy has acknowledged improperly dispensing the breast cancer-fighting drug Tamoxifen instead of chewable fluoride tablets to children in as many as 50 families between Dec. 1 and Feb. 20.

Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay and is usually prescribed by dentists for children. Tamoxifen is used to treat breast cancer and blocks the female hormone estrogen.

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