Gargoyles, Munster and Walgreens

A Palm Beach woman is suing Walgreens over insulting and embarrasing comments written on her prescription, reports the Florida Sun-Sentinel:

For years, Janey Karp has battled depression and anxiety with the help of prescription drugs. Though millions of Americans do the same, Karp admits she is intensely private and can't help but feel stigmatized for needing medication to feel normal.

So when the 53-year-old Palm Beach resident read the Walgreens printout attached to her prescription last week for the sleep aid Ambien, she couldn't believe her eyes. Typed in a field reserved for patient information and dated March 17, 2005, was "CrAzY!! [sic]" In another field, dated Sept. 30, 2004, it read: "She's really a psycho!!! Do not say her name too loud, never mention her meds by names & try to talk to her when ... " The information continued onto another page but was not attached.

"I was devastated, humiliated and embarrassed," Karp said. "I honestly couldn't speak. I was trembling."

Karp filed suit Tuesday against Illinois-based Walgreen Co., accusing the nationwide retail chain of defamation, negligent supervision and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

My, how the prospect of suing a giant retailer can overcome one's fear of the world knowing you need meds to be normal.
"Lively said the notes would not be an issue if the entry contained something helpful, such as the patient requests not to call out her name."

Was it irresponsible for employees to write those things? Sure. Were they ever intended to be read by the customer? No way. This is nothing new; commentary about customers goes on in businesses everywhere. A friend of mine at a bank finished handling a difficult customer, then shot off an email to her coworker about it. A few minutes she realized--when she got a reply email--that she'd send it to the customer instead. After a profuse apology, things were resolved--without a lawsuit. There's a lady who comes into my workplace regularly whose driver's license picture looks like a gargoyle bred with a Munster. If she found out I had described her that way, should she be hacked and embarrassed? Definitely. Lawsuit material? Nah.

The way I see it, if the woman suing Walgreens is comfortable enough broadcasting her problems to the world through a lawsuit, I doubt the stigmatization she claimed of her meds is as severe as she reports.

Tags: Walgreens, gargoyles, Munsters, medication