Would you do this?

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Just a question regarding prescribing. I've had this happen a few times.

Patient comes in with a complaint of pain. Patient's allergy list has codeine on it. Patient attempts to assure me that "Oh, they give me Lortab all the time".

I have not done so, citing as my reason the concern for a potential cross-sensitivity with codeine and hydrocodone (and in some cases, just a bad feeling in general about the patient's motive), but I just wondered about anyone else's thoughts.

All I can think about is, if my name is attached to that script and they do have a reaction, there I'm going to be, documented codeine allergy in place, and I prescribed them.

Thanks in advance!

[mammac5]

First I would want more information about the codeine allergy. I have found that many times when a patient claims "allergy" to codeine, it's usually because it constipated them horribly and not a true allergy at all.