Couple sues CVS for medication mix-up

CHARLESTON -- A Charleston couple is suing CVS Pharmacy after a medication mix-up caused adverse health effects.

Phuong Hudson, and John Doe Jane Doe and Richard Roe, all pharmacists employed by CVS were also named as defendants in the suit.

In August 2010 John Ellis was hospitalized and diagnosed with acid reflux, which he was prescribed Prilosec for treatment, according to a complaint filed May 10 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Ellis claims the defendants filled the prescription with Prednisone instead of Prilosec.

For approximately eight months Ellis continued to take the wrong medication, until his doctor discovered the mistake, according to the suit.

Ellis claims the mix up caused adverse health effects, including Cushing's disease, adrenal gland problems, difficulty controlling blood pressure, severe weight gain, moon face, fatty deposits, thinning skin, severe permanent stretch marks, ravenous appetite, fatigue, frequent colds, decreased sex drive, blood sugar related problems, difficulty sleeping, urination problems, depression, mood swings, change in personality, loss of regular activities of daily living, reproductive problems and the inability to care for and play with his minor children.

Due to fatigue associated with the Prednisone use, Ellis was involved in a car accident on Feb. 16, which caused him to suffer property damage, a sprained neck and other injuries, according to the suit.

Ellis and his wife, Brittany Ellis, are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. They are being represented by Toby J. Buel, Michael O. Callaghan and Richard F. Neely.

The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Carrie Webster.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 11-C-759