Today's E-Paper Herald Magazine Weekly Flyers Coupons Obituaries Contests Herald Events Pay Account Mobile

Halifax
1C Overcast

Subscribe

Sun, December 14th, 2014

Login

Signup
Press enter to search

Home
Metro

News

Opinions

Cape Breton

Business

Nova Scotia

Sports

Canada

Arts & Life

World

Wheels

News Columns

Homes

Community

Careers

Classifieds

Video

The Economist/The New York Times

Family of North Sydney woman angry over drug crisis

ERIN POTTIE CAPE BRETON BUREAU
Published December 13, 2014 - 8:34am

Average: 3.7 (3 votes)

Woman fell ill after mixing prescribed medicines; legal action possible

Sharon Garnier, 69, of North Sydney, displays a prescription she was given for pneumonia. (STEVE WADDEN)

A North Sydney womans family is sending out a warning after her pharmacist allegedly failed to
protect her from an adverse drug interaction.
After visiting her family doctor in late September, Sharon Garnier was prescribed a medication
known as Avelox to treat pneumonia.

Videos
Latest

All videos
Editor's picks

Most viewed

Garnier began taking the pills Sept. 30, the same day her prescription was filled at the Walmart
pharmacy on Kings Street in North Sydney.
A day later, Garnier complained of having a headache and feeling dizzy, light-headed and
nauseous.

Police Body Camera

Demonstration...

Raw: California in the

Midst of ...

Time Capsule Removed

From Mass. ...

Vancouver prepares for

flooding

Feeling too weak to walk to the family vehicle, she was taken to hospital by paramedics.
Vince Garnier of Bedford, speaking on behalf of his mother who did not wish to be interviewed
said she was transported to hospital by ambulance four times in October for similar symptoms and
general malaise.
On her last trip to hospital on Oct. 13, after nearly passing out at home, an emergency room doctor

told the family that Sharon should never have been issued Avelox due to its adverse interaction with
her other medications, warfarin and sotalol.
Garnier said his mother was then diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome, a condition that causes fast,
chaotic heartbeats, sudden onset of weakness and fainting, and, in some cases, death.
He said prescriptions for warfarin and sotalol, taken in relation to a stroke Sharon suffered 13 years
ago, were also being filled at the North Sydney pharmacy.
The antibiotic that the pharmacist gave my mother interacted not just with one of her medications,
but with both, said Vince Garnier. And the (adverse health) classification was major for both, not
mild or moderate, but major for both.
My father broke down crying; he thought my mother was going to die. Theyve been married 52
years, almost 53 years and for this to happen were obviously all very angry.
Garnier said his parents were originally seeking a reimbursement of $631.07 from the local Walmart
pharmacy for their ambulance bills and another bill from the Cape Breton district health authoritys
record department.

Herald Sports Hoodie

Price: $29.99 $22.99 ON SALE!

BUY NOW

After hearing no response, they later increased their request to include a $500 donation to the Heart
& Stroke Foundation in Nova Scotia.
The family is now considering legal action and has been in contact with Walmarts corporate
headquarters.
I believe there should be some responsibility and some accountability, and Im not honestly sure we
can get that by handling it quietly with Walmart lawyers, said Garnier, a former police officer. I
think the public has a right to know.
A Walmart lawyer was expected to call Garnier on Friday.
A complaint has also been launched with the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists, the regulatory
body that governs pharmacy in the province.
College deputy registrar Bev Zwicker said once a complaint is received, it is investigated thoroughly.
Zwicker said privacy regulations under the provincial Pharmacy Act prevent her from speaking on
the specifics of individual complaints.
Weve made it very clear both in the legislation and in the standards of practice that one of the
essential and critical roles of a pharmacist is to determine the appropriateness of drug therapy and
that would include identifying if there are any drug-related problems, so that the pharmacist is
satisfied that it is appropriate for this person to receive this medication, said Zwicker.
Lorna Devoe, the pharmacist the Garniers claim gave them the problematic prescription refused

Recent Comments
GoodGovernment I think that we can

distinguish between a people and their

government, much like in Canada.
Chinese hackers installed malware on National Research Council
computers 1 minute ago

comment on the matter when contacted by The Chronicle Herald on Friday.

GoodGovernment "Dropping oil prices little

Alex Robertson, Wal-Marts director of corporate affairs in Quebec, also declined to comment.
For privacy reasons I cant comment on any discussions that weve had with the family, and
because this is a legal matter I cant get into any of the details at this time, he said.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.

immediate concern for government", just

like everything else.
HOWE ROOM: Dropping oil prices little immediate concern for
government 3 minutes ago

460 Magnum Build a dike Oege. If a hole

shows up, keep your finger there . Good

About the Author

ERIN POTTIE CAPE BRETON BUREAU

E-Mail: epottie@herald.ca
Twitter: @cbnewsreporter

This Week's Circulars

luck Oege, you will get it done.

Elmsdale Legion mops up, eyes New Years Eve 6 minutes ago

corr44 I think violating the charter of rights

and freedoms to Union bust is a form of

bullying ....
Arbitrators decision on fate of health-care unions to be known by
Jan. 1 9 minutes ago

bluesmartieconsulting14 Crocodile tears-

she should be up for an Emmy and or

maybe an Oscar! The only reason she is sad is

because she has a huge mortgage on the Taj

Mahal she built and will lose her cash cows
HOVER FOR CIRCULAR

HOVER FOR CIRCULAR

HOVER FOR CIRCULAR

(nurses) to...
Arbitrators decision on fate of health-care unions to be known by
Jan. 1 16 minutes ago

COMMENTING POLICY - UPDATED AUG. 19, 2014

Top Stories in Nova Scotia

Weather alerts issued for parts of Nova Scotia
New Glasgow couple sue over daughters death
Family of North Sydney woman angry over drug
crisis
0

Nova Scotia reindeer webcam stars Santa and his

four-legged charges

Report a Problem
Average: 3.7 (3 votes)

Health Canada issues second risk notice on

hysterectomy device

RELATED TERMS:
NovaScotia
cape
breton
Chemistry
Medical
prescription
Medicine
Moxifloxacin
Pharmaceutical
drug
Pharmaceutical
sciences
Pharmacist
pharmacist
Pharmacology
Pharmacy
Sharon
Garnier
Sydney
Vince
Garnier
Walmart

Pictou paintings offer a glimpse into its industrial

history
Shelburne residents fear trouble if RCMP dont lay
charges in car-pedestrian crash
Police ask for help in 2012 deaths of Halifax men out
for Christmas trees
Weekend Focus: Industrial art - jewelry born of toil
and sweat
Provincial health authority chief Janet Knox names
7 VPs

Most Discussed
BLACK: Costs of inaction grow on teachers plan et
al
143 comments 3 hours ago

Arbitrators decision on fate of health-care unions to

be known by Jan. 1
14 comments 8 minutes ago

Prof: Gas storage cavern unlikely to blow up

36 comments 1 hour ago

Fir should fly over $25,000 animated tree

47 comments 3 hours ago

CUPE argues bill streaming health-care workers into

4 unions is unconstitutional
128 comments 3 days ago

News

Opinions

Multimedia

Newspaper

Advertising

Useful Information

Home
Metro
Nova Scotia
Canada
World
Business
Sports
Arts & Life
Travel
Books
Religion
Science
The Nova Scotian

Editorials
Columnists
News Columns
Business Columns
Sports Columns
Arts & Life Columns
Editorial Cartoon

Videos
Community Photos

Today's E-Paper
Classifieds
Circulation
Herald in Education
Program
Become a Chronicle
Herald Retailer
South Shore Calendar
Subscribe
Business Insider Signup

Advertising Sales
Advertising Media Kit
Ad Specs
Pay Your Account

Herald Shop
Mobile Apps
Weekly Flyers
N.S. Highway Cams
Horoscope
Lotteries
Weather
What's Happening
TV Listings
Herald Archive
Copyright
Manage your Account

Community
Community News

Announcements
Obituaries
Births
Cards
In Memoriam
Milestones
Contact us to place an
Announcement

JobsPress
Careers

Wheels
Wheels
Search
Sell Your Vehicle
Dealers
Wheels News
Wheels Video

About the Herald

About Us
Contact Us
Career Opportunities
F.A.Q
Library Services
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use

Clients
Print Upload
Real Estate Portal
Ad Specs

Fun & Games

Crossword
Lotteries
Sudoku
Contests

<>