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FORT LUPTON, Colo. -- A Colorado woman who is six weeks pregnant says a pharmacist at a grocery store mistakenly gave her an abortion drug instead of an antibiotic and now she fears the error will cause her to miscarry.
Mareena Silva told Denver's KMGH-TV that the pharmacist at the Safeway in Fort Lupton gave her methotrexate last week. The drug, intended for another woman, is used in chemotherapy and to terminate early-stage pregnancies.
Silva says she took a pill and checked the bottle after becoming sick. She was rushed to the hospital.
Doctors say Silva could miscarry or have a baby with birth defects.
Safeway issued a statement that said policies and procedures meant to prevent medication errors weren't followed, and that the company is redoubling efforts to ensure they are followed. Those procedures include asking twice for the patient's full name and date of birth before handing out medication.
"We have extended our sincere apologies to Ms. Silva and offered to pay any medical expenses incurred as a result of the prescription error," Safeway's statement said. "We understand the anxiety this has caused and the difficulty of Ms. Silva's situation."
A woman who answered the door at Silva's apartment Tuesday said she had moved out and wouldn't talk to the media anymore based on the advice of an attorney. A message left with the woman for Silva was not immediately returned.
Fort Lupton is a small agricultural community on the eastern plains of Colorado, about 35 miles north of Denver.
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Information from: KMGH-TV, http://www.thedenverchannel.com