I never thought I would be writing something like ...

I never thought I would be writing something like this. I went to the ER last month and required a same-day procedure. I have an allergy to penicillin. I told no fewer than 3 people that I am allergic to penicillin when asked. My allergy is also on my medical chart, which should have been available to ER staff because my primary care doctor is with GUH. After the procedure, I went to the pharmacy to pick up the antibiotics I was prescribed. I WAS PRESCRIBED PENICILLIN. If I hadn't Googled the antibiotic and realized it was a type of penicillin before ingesting it, who knows if I would be here writing this review.

After realizing that this catastrophic error was made, I called multiple times over the next few days to figure out why this happened and what medication I actually needed to be taking. I was promised that the surgeon or someone from the ER would call me back (which never happened) after each call. There was no follow-up regarding this issue or my next steps for treatment following the procedure.

Unacceptable. This is the type of incompetence that kills patients.

I was supposed to schedule a second procedure with GUH's surgery center after my ER visit, but I ended up selecting a surgeon out of the Georgetown network because of this situation and the lack of follow-up.

A good lesson for all patients: ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK WHAT YOU ARE PRESCRIBED! Health care providers can make mistakes.