I always enjoy reader feedback and tips after each column in the Statesman. Last week, I wrote about the Trust Index and how consumers' trust in business has dropped 14 percent in the past seven months.

Beverly Hauer read the article and called to tell her trust story.

Her husband, William, had a prescription filled and when he got home from the pharmacy started noticing the red flags that something was not right. Beverly Hauer listed the warning signs. The numbers on the receipt did not match the numbers on the pill bottle. The "prescribed to:" name was wrong. The pill inside the container did not match the label on the bottle. The date on the bottle was wrong.

If it was not so serious, it would almost be a comedy of errors.

Fortunately for the Hauers, before popping a pill, they figured out the prescription was not what the doctor had ordered and went back to the pharmacy.

The people behind the counter could not offer an explanation for the errors. They did offer a $4 coupon. Beverly Hauer pointed out the coupon didn't cover her fuel costs to make the return trip to have the pharmacist fix the mistake.

"A pharmacist is someone you want to trust," she said. "There were so many safeguards that should have been caught."

The Hauers aren't the only ones facing trust issues at the drug store counter. Going back to the BBB/Gallup Trust Index for a look at how pharmacies faired, we find the level of trust in drug stores has fallen about 5 percent in the past seven months.

As I wrote last week, results of the survey show a great opportunity for both consumers and business to build trust.

Speaking specifically of pharmacies, take note of the Hauers' close scrutiny of the process.

First, take notes at the doctor appointment and have the doctor spell out the name of the prescribed drug. Write down the dosage and how often you are supposed to take each dose.

Then, at the pharmacy, engage the pharmacist in conversation. Say: "I'm here to have a prescription for (name your drug) filled. It's to treat (name your ailment). What can you tell me about this drug?" The idea is to get your pharmacist to make the connection between the drug prescribed and the symptoms it is supposed to treat.

Remember the Hauers' story. The pill in the bottle was not the pill prescribed and had nothing to do with William Hauer's symptoms.

Next, go through the checklist. Do the numbers on the receipt match the numbers on the bottle? Are your name, the doctor's name and dates correct? Does the pill inside the bottle match the label and the notes you took at the doctor's office? And, do the instructions on the bottle match what your doctor told you?

The Hauers shared a story of broken trust. Now, I'd like to hear how trust was built. Keep the feedback and tips coming to ddixon@boise.bbb.org.

Dale Dixon is president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau, a not-for-profit organization serving Southwest Idaho and eastern Oregon. Reach him at 342-4649 or ddixon@boise.bbb.org.