Volume 3 Issue 10 October, 2013
Wisdom to crosscheck the medications!!
I think it is a common experience of most of us that our patients take lesser dose than prescribed. Most of them appear to believe that we prescribe higher dose than required. Once a patient of mine wanted me to suggest a substitute brand for Imipramine, as the one written was unavailable. I wrote tablet Depsonil in the prescribed 1-1-2 dosage. When he turned up for review after couple of days, earlier than scheduled, he reported that the substitute I wrote is stronger. When he took the advised dose he felt very weak, had reeling of head and sweating. He apologetically reported that he has been taking the tablet in the dose 1-0-1 and he is fine with it. As usual I was not happy about it. However, good sense prevailed on me and I asked him to show me the tablets. When I saw the tablets I was shocked and thanked stars for helping him use his common sense. He was issued erroneously Daonil tablets, (an oral hypoglycemic agent), instead of Depsonil, by the pharmacy. Following this incident I have made it a point to have a look at the tablets on such occasions rather than get angry. I shudder to think of the consequences had he taken the tablets in the prescribed dosage instead of using his folk wisdom.
Professor at KMC, Manipal.
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