EARLIER this month my wife and I took our one-year-old son to York's Monkgate NHS Walk-In Centre with a raging temperature and bad cold symptoms.

Having been given a prescription, we drove to Tesco at Clifton Moor. Only on our way home did we discover that only half of the child's prescription had been dispensed.

Antibiotics had been dispensed but Calpol hadn't, apparently because it is a brand name and should have been written as child paracetamol. To me it seems obvious that when a doctor writes a prescription that is what should be administered. It is not for a pharmacist to question.

Having spoken to people who work in a pharmacy, the normal procedure would be to phone the doctor and ask for a replacement prescription to be faxed. This solution was not offered. The pharmacy then offered my wife the option of purchasing a bottle of Calpol, which we were unable to do because in the rush neither of us brought any cash with us.

When we arrived home I immediately phoned Tesco and explained to customer services what had happened. The woman promised me the manager would phone me back that afternoon. Two weeks later I'm still waiting.

Martyn Percival,

Moorgarth Avenue,

York.

Updated: 10:40 Friday, November 25, 2005