Medication and Daycare

an evening on the nebulizer
Originally uploaded by a mere excursion

This may not actually be terribly complicated, but I'm feeling frustrated by thinking that I'm following directions, but then finding out that there are yet still more untold directions that need to be followed.

Yes, daycare rightfully has strict rules to follow when giving medications. In fact, right on the Elaborate "Authorization For Administration Of Medication" Form, it states:

Five Rights of Medication
1. Verification that the right child receives
2. The right medication
3. In the right dose
4. At the right time
5. By the right method

Nice, huh? I'm sure there have been many horrific mistakes made in the past by all sorts of well-meaning people that made this possible and the daycare is only trying to reduce their liability.

What does this have to do with the Strings? Rosalie had a awful cough and a nosebleed early yesterday morning, so AJS stayed home with her and took her to the doctor. Once she was prescribed her meds--around Noon--I asked our daycare to email me their Elaborate Form so I could get the doctor to sign it. Fortuitously, I thought, her meds were the exact same Rx that Dash had in January, so we had plenty of meds left.

They emailed the Elaborate Form to me at 4 p.m., apologizing for lateness. The doctor's office was only open until 5, so I quickly filled it out and faxed it to them. I phoned them to confirm that they got it and asked them to fax it to the daycare. All's good with the doc's signature.

This morning, daycare has not received the Elaborate Form With Signature; I call and find out that they did fax it back--TO ME-- not to the daycare. We quickly correct, Elaborate Form comes through, even though it is now 11:30 and she was supposed to get her meds at 10. They ask me to email that it is okay to give her meds at 11:30 instead of 10 just for their records. Yes, I email an okay.

I get a call back at 1:30 p.m.: they were not able to give her the meds (ratio issues); for their records, can I email them that it's okay to give them now? I email another okay.

I get a call back at 1:45 p.m. "Mrs. String, the box that you sent the meds over in, it doesn't match the meds inside. We won't be able to give them to her." I explain that while the box might indicate a different dosage, it has Rosie's name on it, and the meds inside are the correct dosage as noted on the Elaborate Form. They confirm this with me, but insist that they must have not only the Elaborate Form With Doctor's Signature, but the Rx Box Label must match with everything noted on the Elaborate From.

I explain that Rosie and Dash are getting the same dosages of the same medications as written up on the Signed Elaborate Form and they can confirm on the sealed containers of medication that they are the appropriate medications, with the correct dosages imprinted in the plastic ampules. The Strings Family is trying not to have to purchase many boxes of unused, expensive medications just so we can have the proper paper label on the front of them.

They explain that their Licensing requires that they have Properly Labeled Boxes and maybe I can ask my pharmacy if they could just print new labels instead of buying more medication? The daycare could be cited and fined otherwise.

Of course the pharmacy doesn't agree with this. I phone the doctor's office and ask them to phone in Rosie's Rx to the pharmacy, and this afternoon we will be picking up two more boxes of the same medication in the house.

But the pretty little labels on top will be the RIGHT ones.