Mother says toy machine at pizza shop dispensed medication

ROCHESTER, N.H. — A mother in New Hampshire said a machine designed to give children a treat was more like a pill dispenser at one pizza shop.

Courtney Jones was with her 7-year-old daughter Allyson when they put a quarter into the toy machine at Rochester House of Pizza Friday night, and received a container of pills.

“I put all three quarters in the first two were toys and then the third one when it first came out I thought it was candy and I didn't let her have it and I said hold on let me look at his and I opened it up and I realized it was medication,” Jones said.

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Police said they are investigating how the pills, which appear to be blood pressure medication, got into the machine.

“There was one capsule and then there was three pills and one of the pills was broken in half,” Jones said.

Jones said her daughter knew not to ingest the pills, but she worries other kids may not know.

“She says I wouldn't want that that's not candy. She's seven she's old enough to know but had she been younger maybe she wouldn't have known,” Jones said.

Rochester House of Pizza owners said an outside company fills the machine, and that company is unsure how the pills turned up. Jones hopes it never happens again.

“I hope that another child doesn't get one of those capsules filled with medication and accidentally eat them,” Jones said.

That machine has been removed from the shop, but Jones said she has been told the supplier of the toys and treats buys them in bulk from out of state.

That's why she's afraid they'll end up somewhere else, too.

WFXT reached out to that supplier Monday night but could not make contact.

Cox Media Group