Read The Label

In the literature provided with the medication, the prescription information starts with:

Bicillin C-R (penicillin G benzathine and penicillin G procaine suspension), contains equal amounts of the benzathine and procaine salts of penicillin G. It is available for deep intramuscular injection.

Penicillin G benzathine is prepared by the reaction of dibenzylethylene diamine with two molecules of penicillin G. It is chemically designated as (2 S , 5 R , 6 R )-3,3-Dimethyl-7-oxo-6- (2-phenylacetamido)-4-thia- 1-azabicyclo [3.2.0] heptane-2- carboxylic acid compound with N,N' -dibenzylethylenediamine (2:1), tetrahydrate. It occurs as a white, crystalline powder and is very slightly soluble in water and sparingly soluble in alcohol.

Definitely not a page-turner, yet the information stream goes on for another few thousand sleep-inducing words before one gets to see this sentence.

This drug should not be used in the treatment of venereal diseases, including syphilis, gonorrhea, yaws, bejel, and pinta.

Consequently, it makes sense that some people may have used this medication, or any medication, prior to fully reading the accompanying technical literature. Obviously, individuals preparing medical prescription information do not write for the average reader, much less the sick average reader.

It is, therefore, entirely understandable that over 600 people were administered the wrong drug for syphilis by the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center before one person finally read the enclosed package insert. The clinic is trying to notify all individuals who received the medication, but it's believed that at least 200 people are still unaware. This is significant since the initial symptoms of a syphilis infection disappear after a time and the disease progresses. So, it's possible that some people who received the Bicillin C-R think they have been cured when, in fact, they're still carrying the disease.

Reasonably, one has to ask who is responsible for this incident? Hundreds of people, patients and health providers, didn't read the package insert. Of course, they are all to blame. Nonetheless, I can't shake the feeling that package inserts (and other medical information disseminated to the public) should and could be more reader friendly.