SoC01 Prescription Only Medicine

Eli-Ukende · 2021-09-28T04:07:17+00:00

I always get excited whenever I am on duty to perform pharmacy practice in any dispensing outlet. And today was not different from any other day. “Ms. Eli-Ukende, you are here so early today” Sister Amelia’s voice as I turned to open the gate in the Out-Patient Department. She has been assisting us whenever student have rotation in her department. Sister Amelia is the in charge officer in the OPD at St Francis hospital. In the OPD patients are going home right after they are done all treatment processes in the hospital. They are not admitted in the wards. The last step is always the OPD pharmacy. Here patients come to collect their medications as it has been prescribed by the practitioner. “Good morning Sister” I greet her as I give the best smile ever showing exactly how excited I am for today’s rotation “Good morning Eli! How are you?” Sr. Amelia responds and I reply majestically as always “I am fine and beautiful too! It’s been a week since we last saw each other and how are you sister?” “well, I am fine as you can see me” she says. “yeah sure” I responds We start preparing good surroundings suitable for work to be done this day and some little chats. The first patient arrives at the dispensing window to collect his medication. You dispensing is supply of medicines or medicines products in accordance with the prescription lawfully given by a medical practitioner. “how are you my daughter?” The patient greets me as she stretches her hand for me to receive the paper in her hand. “I am fine mama, shikamoo!” I respond and she replies “marahaba”. Shikamoo is a Swahili word whereby the younger ones use it to greet elders. And marahaba is how they respond. I receive her paper and it has some writings in there. I read words written in if and discover they are drugs. Wanting to know how I should help her I ask her to make everything clear. You see in field conversation is a key. Talking to my client before my will be my service success. Mama has to get clear and correct information from me and I have to understand if the information got into her heard as expected. You see I can either bring harm to Mama if I provide wrong information or make her treatment possible by provided clear and correct information. If it happens I am not sure of something I am ought to ask assistance from sister Amelia. If the medications are not clear, I am ought to communicate with a practitioner who has written and signed the prescription. All this is done just to ensure safety and well-being of Mama. “Mama, How should I help you?” I ask “I have just given you a piece of paper and I want medicines. Why else should I be here not for that” Mama seems offended by my inquiry. “you see, young lady think you have got there and got it all. Just sale me medicines written from that paper and I go. If you can’t let me know” After noticing this, I want to explode heheheheheh! but I just remember my code of ethics at work. I really don’t want to get fury so I cannot tell her straight that I am not selling medicines to her. I use the opportunity to inform her what is the correct manner of doing this. They say problems are opportunities. So I have mine. I am about to exploit it effectively sparing nothing. “Who wrote in this paper?” I ask “my son who is in medical school” Mama says “so he is a student?” I ask “yes he is.” Mama replies “whose medicines are these?” I continue “they are mine” she responds offensively again and I keep my patience too “Ok, you see mama it’s true there are medicines written in this paper. But these medicines cannot be collected by you without prescription form written and signed by a clinician. These are Prescription Only Medicines. And if I give you their containers they boldly printed in capital letters POM. You can be asking yourself what am I talking about and here is the answer. Prescription Only Medicines (POM) are medicines or medicines product required to be dispensed only upon a prescription given by a medical practitioner, veterinary surgeon, or any other person approve by the Minister of Health Community Development Gender Elderly and Children. And again I could have confused you by word prescription. Prescription is a lawfully written direction by a medical practitioner or veterinary doctor for preparation and dispensation of a medicine by a pharmacist.” I tell Mama “so do I have to visit a doctor’s office just for this?” she asks “yes you do!” I answer “are you not going to sell them to me” she adds “yes I am not” I respond “why all the trouble now jamani?” She asks again with a Swahili word added to show that I am treating her unrightfully. “Mama, a doctor has to see you. You are a hypertensive client. He needs to check your progress. He needs to run some tests including you blood pressure and pulse rate. He needs to know if medicines are helping you or not. He needs to know if he should shift you to another medication or let you keep on with these. There are lots of important information you need to hear from your clinician about your health before you keep on taking these. So I kindly request you to visit his office and be sure of your health status concerning hypertension.” She now seems to be agreeing with me and wants to take my advice. “OK how do I know she has given me a prescription?” this time I like her curiosity. “Mama a prescription form has important parts for you to recognize it and let me tell you. Prescriber’s address, date of when the prescription was written, patient’s information including name, age, gender and address, then name of the medicine, directions for use, refills which means if there will be any medicines to be collected at a certain date, Prescriber’s name and signature.” “wow! I couldn’t know any of these if not for you my daughter” she speaks with a smile. And with no hard feelings I respond “I am here for your mama. Always whenever you need me!” “I hope I will find you here when I return from the doctor’s office” she says “yeah sure mama I will be here” I reply. “Ok thank you. Let me now go and line up to visit the clinician” she adds “You are welcome mama, anytime. All the best then” I respond while she went away from the dispensing window. You see I had this chance because it was early in the morning, not many patients have arrived, so I had all this sufficient time with her. This wouldn’t have been possible if there were other people waiting at the bench. I am sure we could all go into a quarrel. Thanks to heaven my day starts brightly. “Oh oh! See what we got here! A well taught and skilled member of the department” Sister Amelia’s voice behind my back. I nod my head and shake my shoulders with pride now. “yes! and that’s me Sr.” I respond “I thought you were going to quarrel with her?” Sr. adds “oh no it’s a bright day. Why ruining it in the morning” I respond It is now 08;30 am and every other office and department has been opened. Everyone is in the workplace respectively. Other members of the department also arrive and we go on setting good environment for us to work in this day effectively. My shift will take me good eight hours and it’s indeed a good lucky day.

Thread starter Eli-Ukende
Start date Sep 28, 2021
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