Tablets Rant

[shadowcaster]

As my aged Mother has a few health issues I have the pleasure of doing up her medication for the week. So what you may say, well she takes 14 different tablets every day and here's the rant why oh why do they either, have different tablets that look the same or suddenly change from tablet to capsules. If your doing up a weeks supply it get very confusing, especialy when you run out of one box and open another to find it's a different colour, or looks the same as a another tablet. Luckly my Mum has me to do her med's but how the hell do they expect the elderly or someone with poor eyesight or memory problems to make sense of it.

OK chaps rant over and sorry to offload on you.

[jasongray5]

Your Mums lucky she has someone to help her out. I have to pot up meds for 3 lads on a weekly basis. And like you say, sizes and colours change and it can get tricky to keep track of which you have potted. Have a word with the pharmacy, and explain your mothers situation. They can do one of 2 things, tell you to sod off, or they can try to keep brands the same for you.
Any way, Sounds like your doing a great job.
Jas Gray

[HandyAndy]

i agree with above, i also look after my mothers medication, when i first started doing it i thought the same as you " why do they look alike , my mum.s eyesight & concentration is failing so how she would cope/manage her tablets if i didn,t sort the tablets god knows.
good on ya for the care you give.

andy

[flyerncle]

I know exactly where you guys are coming from as I hear this every day in one form or another and I am definately not condoning it ! My other half (she who thinks she must be obeyed/ignored )is a manager for social services or CBS as they now call it.I have just asked the question why, and the answer was that supplier's use different manufacturer's and they change the form ie tablet or capsule without consultation and of course it all comes down to money again !
It' no consolation but thats joy's of getting older,work hard,get robbed by the government and get treat like 5hit when you retire and now they have decided that 50 is old!

Take care all

[Bonzo]

The constant brand swapping is a pain in the ass.
I too have to take a whole bunch of pills every day & they are constantly changing shape, colour or name. :rolleyes:

My wife makes sure mine are all sorted uot for me !!?? , i have a dreadful time working out what to take & when :o

If my wife ever asks the dispenserary why a pill has changed, she is treated with contempt. How dare you have the nerve to question what you have been given ?? sort of thing !! :eek:

If my wife gave me a miss-prescribed drug by accident. The first cry would be " You should have noticed that they were different " :confused:

[shadowcaster]

Thanks Guys, it's good/sad to hear that others have to same problem.

[flyerncle]

Again this is no consolation and she is no longer with us,My brothers late wife was given something totaly wrong by the chemist that she was allergic too and caused a reaction that put her in hospital. All she got at the time was "sorry",they were well aware of the allergy and after a long time fighting with a well known superstore that begins with TES she recieved a fair amount in compensation, but still only got a sorry and no admission of any wrong doing.
I am lucky with only acid reflux by all accounts,blame the grandparent cause he had it too !

Regards All

[HandyAndy]

i don,t wish to sound all doom & gloom but my younger brother ( 34 yrs old at the time) was admitted to hospital via a 999 ambulance call, with suspected heart attack, seen by a doctor of foreign speaking first language (:rolleyes: ) & sent home with a bottle of Gaviscon ( indigestion tonic ), brother was dead 4 hrs later, you guessed it..... a massive heart attack.
this went to a public inquiry & hospital found lacking in medical care. i just hope my brothers passing stopped it happening to anyone else after lessons learnt.
my outlook on life is now " doctors don,t ALWAYS know best"

andy

[flyerncle]

Dont mean to sound funny or flippant and you know me fairly well Andy,My mistakes can be repaired Doctors bury theirs and unfortunately it will go on.
Heartily sorry for your loss I know how much it hurts.

Paul

[Bonzo]

I really feel for you Andy :(

I went to my GP when I first had my real bad chest pains. He done an ECG & was whisked off to hospital PDQ.

I believe by being admitted by my GP, I managed to by-pass the chaos that is A&E . I was taken straight to the ward & recieved prompt treatment.

I have always been a real muppet when it comes to taking medication. If its given to me, i'll take it.

During my stay in hospital, on the first night a junior doctor prescribed some drugs for me.

When the dispensing nurse came around, she had a little chat with me whilst reading my drug list. She said " Oh that can't be right, I had better go and check that "
When she returned, she explained that the doctor had prescribed 50mg instead of 5mg of a particular drug. :eek:
I said that it was lucky that she had noticed that. She casually said " Oh he's allways doing that " :confused:

I am a lot more carefull now. I will always ask " What is it & what is it for "

Once again Andy, sorry for your loss & no amount of words will ever put things right. :(

[HandyAndy]

Heartily sorry for your loss I know how much it hurts.

Paul

Thankyou, and i know what you mean.
we were very close.

Andy

[fabbyglass]

Not a fan of hospitals or the so called proffesionals who work in them, not all bad I know but why is it you always seem to get the tosser when it comes to a serious thing yet get a right brain box when all you have done is hurt yer finger....!!!

Not good losing someone close:(

[flyerncle]

Ronnie, Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic,2 weeks for an appointment.
Nuff said !

[shadowcaster]

Andy, I don't know what to say, losing someone is devastating.

[HandyAndy]

Ronnie / Rich / Mark / Paul
your thoughts are more comforting than words . thanks
:)
andy