DECATUR, Ga. – A 78-year-old Georgia woman says she suffered a fentanyl overdose and was hospitalized after a Publix pharmacy in Decatur allegedly gave her another customer’s prescription, with the company later offering her $4,000 to compensate for the incident, according to a report from 11Alive in Atlanta.
Betty Thomas told 11Alive that she believed the patches were for her hormones. As the days passed, her condition worsened, the report said.
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“I’m throwing up, I’m nauseous, I’m dizzy, I can’t go to the bathroom, I’m sick,” Thomas told 11Alive.
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Thomas said her son eventually took her to the hospital, where the family discovered she had been given a fentanyl prescription intended for a customer named Betty Davis.
“My children just lost their father and then to turn around and have to go through losing their mom,” Thomas said.
Family calls Publix’s response a ‘slap in the face’
Deanna Thomas says she has since been in contact with Publix’s corporate office regarding the incident. According to the family, Publix sent an email July 7 offering Betty Thomas $4,000 to cover the incident and her medical expenses.
“It was straight up a slap in our face, and there was no remorse. It was, ‘You know, we’re giving you more than the $750 that’s standard,’” Deanna Thomas said.
11Alive said it reached out to Publix on Monday and again on Tuesday morning, requesting a statement about the family’s allegations, but had not received a response as of Wednesday.
It’s unclear if the family accepted the offer or will take legal action, but the incident has caught the attention of renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Crump called the incident “deeply troubling.” It’s unknown if he has contacted the family.
The family said they turned the fentanyl patches over to a police department for proper disposal, and Thomas told 11Alive that her recovery after the incident would take time.