B.C. pharmacy hands a young boy hydromorphone pills instead of his usual ADHD medication after a prescription mix-up at a Comox Shoppers Drug Mart. The mother, Sarah Paquin, says her son Declan was seconds away from ingesting the potent opioid before school, only for his father to catch the error when he noticed the pills' unusual color. The pharmacy suspended the employee and launched an internal investigation, with the franchise owner calling the family to apologize.

After the alarming switch, Sarah Paquin’s husband discovered the hydromorphone label and returned the pills to the pharmacy. The incident triggered an immediate suspension for the staff member involved and an apology call from the store owner. “He would have had this high dosage of morphine and been sent off to school, unknowingly,” said Paquin, her voice still shaky with disbelief at the near-miss.

Hydromorphone, a high-dose opiate normally used for severe pain, was nearly given to a child with ADHD—only a quick glance at the pill bottle’s color saved him from an accidental overdose.