'Plane, Train and Automobile
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Right now, I'm in Airlie Beach. It's a good 10+ hr drive from Brisbane, but that won't be happening for a few more days.
Meantime, me and the rest of the lads from Medical Misadventures are thrashing out a couple of training hikes; the plan is to do two 60km hikes in three days. Significantly, the second one will be exactly a month out from Kokoda Challenge day. This is the main training week, and a lot of confidence is riding on how we got over the next few days.
The Pharmacy-related issue that's been on my mind this week involved nurses.
Nurses do a wonderful job. I expect to spend much time in the next few years kissing up to nurses and thanking them for saving my bacon, much like JD in the first season of Scrubs.
Meantime, when it comes to pharmacy, Nurses are a pain in the arse. Why? Because they know everything. Everything about everything.
Typically, a woman in her early-forties will front up with an amoxycillin 'script for her 8 year old. The 'script was written about 8 months ago, and is hence legally valid. Before I even think about filling, I stroll out for a chat;
"I'm a nurse, and...", invariably their opening gambit, "Katie's just come down with a tummy bug
, so I want this one to get through the weekend."
After extracting substantial information (it's quite forthcoming), any pharmacist worth their salt has established that antibiotics are completely unnecessary. I gently explain this to the nurse, but she's insistent; "anytime at work someone gets a tummy bug, this is what they give them."
She then proceeds to lecture me on the dangers of pediatric diarrhoea. I just love being lectured at my place of work. Especially in front of shop assistants. It really brings out the best of my knowledge of medicine to the fullest. It also means that I get to speak much louder than usual , from behind the dispensing computer. This is known as the 7 meter counsel, and is possibly one of the more enjoyable parts of the job. More on this next time.
For those of you playing at home with your XYZ handbook of medicine; Common bacterial GIT infections are caused by Gram -ve, and Amoxycillin covers predominantly Gram +ve bacteria. Chances are, though, that this will be either diet related, viral or just 'functional'.
Less gently now, I explain the difference between multiple antibiotics, the fact that it was probably written for a chest infection and that amoxycillin for a gut ache is, well, bloody stupid, and flatly refuse to supply it. Risks > benefits. Deal with it.
BUT! Let's remember, I'm not an owner here; so I still need to have some iota of respect for the custo-patient. So, I decide that treating the actual tummy bug's a good idea; some rehydration and maybe some paracetamol for the pain. (There's no fever, of course).
I give advice about timing and ice-blocks and the whole works; I really do give a crap about the kid with diarrhoea. She makes a few selections and comes to the register, and just as the sale is about to go through she says;
"And the antibiotics, we'd better give her some of those too, right?"
Meantime, me and the rest of the lads from Medical Misadventures are thrashing out a couple of training hikes; the plan is to do two 60km hikes in three days. Significantly, the second one will be exactly a month out from Kokoda Challenge day. This is the main training week, and a lot of confidence is riding on how we got over the next few days.
The Pharmacy-related issue that's been on my mind this week involved nurses.
Nurses do a wonderful job. I expect to spend much time in the next few years kissing up to nurses and thanking them for saving my bacon, much like JD in the first season of Scrubs.
Meantime, when it comes to pharmacy, Nurses are a pain in the arse. Why? Because they know everything. Everything about everything.
Typically, a woman in her early-forties will front up with an amoxycillin 'script for her 8 year old. The 'script was written about 8 months ago, and is hence legally valid. Before I even think about filling, I stroll out for a chat;
"I'm a nurse, and...", invariably their opening gambit, "Katie's just come down with a tummy bug
, so I want this one to get through the weekend."
After extracting substantial information (it's quite forthcoming), any pharmacist worth their salt has established that antibiotics are completely unnecessary. I gently explain this to the nurse, but she's insistent; "anytime at work someone gets a tummy bug, this is what they give them."
She then proceeds to lecture me on the dangers of pediatric diarrhoea. I just love being lectured at my place of work. Especially in front of shop assistants. It really brings out the best of my knowledge of medicine to the fullest. It also means that I get to speak much louder than usual , from behind the dispensing computer. This is known as the 7 meter counsel, and is possibly one of the more enjoyable parts of the job. More on this next time.
For those of you playing at home with your XYZ handbook of medicine; Common bacterial GIT infections are caused by Gram -ve, and Amoxycillin covers predominantly Gram +ve bacteria. Chances are, though, that this will be either diet related, viral or just 'functional'.
Less gently now, I explain the difference between multiple antibiotics, the fact that it was probably written for a chest infection and that amoxycillin for a gut ache is, well, bloody stupid, and flatly refuse to supply it. Risks > benefits. Deal with it.
BUT! Let's remember, I'm not an owner here; so I still need to have some iota of respect for the custo-patient. So, I decide that treating the actual tummy bug's a good idea; some rehydration and maybe some paracetamol for the pain. (There's no fever, of course).
I give advice about timing and ice-blocks and the whole works; I really do give a crap about the kid with diarrhoea. She makes a few selections and comes to the register, and just as the sale is about to go through she says;
"And the antibiotics, we'd better give her some of those too, right?"
