A couple have received an apology from a chemist after young mum Samantha Foster was knocked out in front of her two children by a wrong prescription.

The mix-up happened after Miss Foster picked up prescriptions for herself and her young son from AA Pharmacy in Fryerns, Basildon.

Instead of the antibiotics she had been prescribed by her doctor she was mistakenly given a batch of antidepressants.

Her partner, Adam O'Brien, 28, of Theydon Crescent, Basildon, said: "It's just appalling. If I hadn't come home and if she had taken another pill, God knows how she would have been."

Miss Foster, 19, visited her doctor at the Matching Green surgery in Whitmore Way, Basildon.

She had a mouth infection and her two-year-old son Adam was suffering from a sore throat.

She was prescribed antibiotics and bottled medicine which she went to AA Pharmacy, also in Whitmore Way, to collect.

Miss Foster said: "I went to the shop next door for a drink and when I went back the pharmacist handed over the prescription form and asked me to sign it. He then put the two bottles into a bag and handed me it and I left."

She then took what she thought was one of her tablets but did not stop to check the label.

By the time Mr O'Brien arrived home he found Miss Foster barely coherent and both Adam, two, and six-week-old Oliver crying.

Mr O'Brien said: "She was just on the sofa and all over the place really. I sorted the kids out and the chemist turned up and said he'd given her the wrong prescription."

Worried Adam rang Samantha's doctor who then phoned every hour to see how she was.

Aziz Ahmed of AA Pharmacy said staff had acted immediately they realised their mistake.

He said: "We were extremely busy but noticed the mistake a few moments later. We drove to her address but she had not returned home. I returned later, apologised and explained the error.

He added: "There was absolutely no danger involved - Miss Foster would have just felt rather sleepy. However, it must be said that another person's name was on the bottle."

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