A PHARMACY is being investigated following claims an elderly mother was mistakenly given an overdose of diabetes drugs for almost a week.

The family of Betty Mcleod, 92, believe she is lucky to be alive after she took more than double the prescribed dose of Metformin for five days to treat her Diabetes type two.

The pensioner, of Preston Road, Slough, fell ill on Monday, January 22 and was taken to Wexham Park Hospital two days later.

Lloyds Pharmacy has confirmed it is investigating how her medicine was dispensed at its Upton Lea Parade site in Wexham Road.

Son, Antony Mcleod, 58, claimed the pharmacy had incorrectly administered the blister pack of his mother’s pills, resulting in her taking 4,000mg of Metformin a day when she should only have been taking 1,500mg. One of her carer’s realised the mistake and raised the alarm.

Mr Mcleod said: “My daughter is a nurse at the Royal Berkshire Hospital and said if she had kept on taking them she would have been in danger of a diabetic coma. The GP checked her last Friday and said it is starting to leave her system.”

In documents shown to The Observer, only one person appeared to have signed off on Mrs Mcleod’s medication. The family says this demonstrates that no secondary check had taken place to ensure the drugs contained in the pack were the correct ones. Instead of issuing Mrs Mcleod with 56 paracetamol tablets and 21 of Metformin for seven days, the pharmacy had given out 56 of Metformin and 21 of paracetamol – the family says – resulting in a daily overdose.

Mr Mcleod added: “I was annoyed that it clearly wasn’t checked.”

A spokesman for Lloyds Pharmacy said: “We can confirm that we are investigating a dispensing incident at our pharmacy on Wexham Road, Slough.

“We treat all incidents of this nature very seriously and our Pharmacy Superintendent’s Office has been in touch with the family of the patient concerned.

“Patient safety is our top priority and we are conducting a thorough investigation into this case. We will share the outcome with the family.”