5 rights of patient medication administration, when you're self medicating

brownbook · Jun 7, 2018

OMG....talk about self fulfilling prophecy. More stupid medication errors.

I got a vaccination at my regular check up. The doctor didn't give me all vaccinations that were due because, (crazy American health insurance coverage mess), it would cost me more to get it there than going to my local pharmacy.

So I get sent home with about 4 double sided pages of my "visit encounter".

So I read, and re-read the visit encounter. Try to figure out, remember, what vaccination she said to get. Sooooo stupid I could have easily emailed her to clarify but I thought, "I am smart, I'm a nurse, I can figure this out." I am like a man..hate to ask for help or something??????

So I go to my pharmacy get a Previnar (pneumonia) vaccination for free but am told the other vaccination wouldn't be covered, would coast $70.00! Then I get home and email my doctor....you guessed it, I had gotten Previnar at my visit!

I have been feeling headachy and irritable since then.....oh wait,that's how I always feel :). And my arm is still sore where I got the vaccination! :cry: .

Emergent, RN · Jun 7, 2018

I had a headache for a couple of days and then realized that I'd accidentally bought decaffeinated coffee! THAT was a shocker!

Guest1025459 · Jul 2, 2018

I think I have you guys beat. August 2015, my grandma was dying of cancer...I took a 2 day vacation to LA to unwind my mind.

While there, I bought at a gas station, a bottle of energy pills. I slept all but 8 hours in a 3 day period.

I had NO clue this stuff, while having 200MG caffeine, is basically generic viagra as well. Took 4 of these. "Use for energy and sexual performance"

I continued on my 6 hour drive home. About 30 minutes in, somewhere over the Grapevine heading into Bakersfield, I cannot blink, my pupils look like 12 guage shotgun shells, and the old commercials "If you have an erection lasting longer than 4 hours seek medical attention immediately" is running wildly through my aroused, worried mind.

Sure, I probably should have seeked attention, but how the hell do you walk into an ER, and explain to the nurse you took 4 gas station Viagra's and are coming in because of advice given on a TV commercial?

I get home in record time. A 6 hour drive took much less than that.

The rest is history....no long term damage done. I laugh thinking about that day...

brownbook · Jul 2, 2018

I think I have you guys beat. August 2015, my grandma was dying of cancer...I took a 2 day vacation to LA to unwind my mind.
While there, I bought at a gas station, a bottle of energy pills. I slept all but 8 hours in a 3 day period.
I had NO clue this stuff, while having 200MG caffeine, is basically generic viagra as well. Took 4 of these. "Use for energy and sexual performance"
I continued on my 6 hour drive home. About 30 minutes in, somewhere over the Grapevine heading into Bakersfield, I cannot blink, my pupils look like 12 guage shotgun shells, and the old commercials "If you have an erection lasting longer than 4 hours seek medical attention immediately" is running wildly through my aroused, worried mind.
Sure, I probably should have seeked attention, but how the hell do you walk into an ER, and explain to the nurse you took 4 gas station Viagra's and are coming in because of advice given on a TV commercial?
I get home in record time. A 6 hour drive took much less than that.
The rest is history....no long term damage done. I laugh thinking about that day...

Being an older female I am not up to date on viagra, I had no idea it was OTC. Not that I'm calling you a liar ðŸ¤¥ but I did Google buying viagra. Thanks for your informative educational post :). Excuse me while I clean up the coffee sprayed all over my keyboard.

psu_213, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2018

2) Half the time when I have a minor headache and "think" to take some acetaminophen, 20 minutes later I think, "Did I take some acetaminophen or did I just think about taking some?"

I do this one all the time. They I don't take the acetaminophen, because I don't want to try and convince someone that I accidentally took too much

psu_213, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2018

Whhhhy do old ladies keep their pills all in one bottle sometimes

This is one of my pet peeves! And it's not just LOLs that do it.

Guest1025459 · Jul 3, 2018

Being an older female I am not up to date on viagra, I had no idea it was OTC. Not that I'm calling you a liar í ¾í´¥ but I did Google buying viagra. Thanks for your informative educational post :). Excuse me while I clean up the coffee sprayed all over my keyboard.

I think the product was called Redline, or Stacker or something. Basically, it's a workout supplement, but it also has a myriad of other stuff in it.

brownbook · Oct 25, 2018

I did it again. My dog was prescribed Tramadol PRN for arthritic pain. He can take two 50 mg tablets, he hates them. Thankfully he doesn't seem to have chronic pain.

This morning I put his pills in peanut butter, he refused, put them in Pill Pockets, he refused, put them in cheese, he refused, put them in raw sausage he refused. (I had to wash off the gunk after each trial of food.) I picked up the pills wrapped in sausage and put them in the oven along with the rest of the link sausages to have him try cooked sausage.

Welp, I picked up the small, cooked, pill wrapped sausage, forgot what it was for, and ate it! (Tramadol does taste bad with you chew them.) It took me a few moments of wondering why the sausage tasted so bad to realize what I had done.

I did make it through the day okay, didn't fall asleep or whatever Tramadol might do to me. I drank a lot of water (I read that on Dr. Google) and a lot of coffee.

Emergent, RN · Oct 26, 2018

I did it again. My dog was prescribed Tramadol PRN for arthritic pain. He can take two 50 mg tablets, he hates them. Thankfully he doesn't seem to have chronic pain.
This morning I put his pills in peanut butter, he refused, put them in Pill Pockets, he refused, put them in cheese, he refused, put them in raw sausage he refused. (I had to wash off the gunk after each trial of food.) I picked up the pills wrapped in sausage and put them in the oven along with the rest of the link sausages to have him try cooked sausage.
Welp, I picked up the small, cooked, pill wrapped sausage, forgot what it was for, and ate it! (Tramadol does taste bad with you chew them.) It took me a few moments of wondering why the sausage tasted so bad to realize what I had done.
I did make it through the day okay, didn't fall asleep or whatever Tramadol might do to me. I drank a lot of water (I read that on Dr. Google) and a lot of coffee.

My ancient dog is on PRN Tramadol and Rimadyl. She's a gluttonous labrador, so all I have to do is put the pills on her food and she wolfs it all down.

brownbook · Oct 26, 2018

My ancient dog is on PRN Tramadol and Rimadyl. She's a gluttonous labrador, so all I have to do is put the pills on her food and she wolfs it all down.

Hope I don't get shut down for terms of service violation :). Do you give your dog the glucosamine and omega -3 supplements? Sooo many people and the vet recommend those. Needless to say my dog won't touch that stuff either. He's driving me crazy.

psu_213, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2018

he refused

I love the fact that you refer to is as "refused!" It is one of the silly rights made up by vexatious (don't worry, I had to look it up--still not sure I'm using it correctly) people who think we need 10 rights of med administration.

One of my dogs is able to "unwrap" the pill...i.e., Get the pill pocket off, eat that, and then spit out the actual pill. That stinker.

psu_213, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2018

Hope I don't get shut down for terms of service violation :). Do you give your dog the glucosamine and omega -3 supplements? Sooo many people and the vet recommend those. Needless to say my dog won't touch that stuff either. He's driving me crazy.

We give our dogs glucosamine/chondroitin supplements. One of the big pet stores sells chews specifically for dogs. We get a cheaper one at Target, but have to put it in a pill pocket. That usually works.