Getting medication on time.

I am not actually sure what title to give this post.

I was recently in a consultation type meeting with a range of service users to discuss the nursing program at one of the universities in Edinburgh. They are being revalidated and want to make sure that the course is producing the best possible nurses it can who are fully prepared for life as a staff nurse.

One thing that came up that has been preying on my mind and the more I think about it the more it bothers me. As the group was made up of a range of people age, gender, background, reason for being at the consultation. There were a few people there representing Parkinson’s- either as someone with Parkinson’s, a carer or someone who works for Parkinsons UK.

The issue of medication came up in conversation and it felt like some had a bit of an agenda as they kept going on about how people with Parkinson’s when in hospital must get their medications the right time otherwise their can be negative effects if it is late. This was a statement that was repeated many times stating that the medication often had to be given out with normal drug rounds.

It felt like to me that those with Parkinson’s,their medication was more important than other patients who need medication. I take medication which is prolonged release and has to be taken at specific times which are out with normal drug rounds and must be taken otherwise blood levels drop and this can have a detrimental effect on my breathing and could cause an attack which may or may not end up needing intensive care.

What bothered me so much is that there was no regard for other people and their conditions and the medication that they are on. I know from experience of doing drug rounds it is very difficult to juggle everything but we do our best. Every patient is just as important as the next and every patients medication is just as important to them as all the other patients. If a patient was able I would ask them to remind me to come and give them their medication if it was out with a drug round or if able I would let them self medicate so they would get their medication when it was due. This can not always be done so we as nurses need to remember and we do try. I was thinking as a nurse if I went into a bay of patients and only did one patients drugs and told the others they would get theirs done in time but this patient needed their now. It would make me feel like I was selecting this patient and treating them differently to the others.

What I am trying to get across is that every patient is just as important as the next and everyones medication is just as important to them as the next persons. There are many medications which like the medication for Parkinson’s needs to be given at set times otherwise there is detrimental effects. I really felt like there was no regard for other people and their condition. Parkinsons is an awful condition and I have a good friend who has had Parkinson’s since the age of 8 but getting medication on time is just as important for us as well.

Im not sure if I am saying thins properly and if its making sense but everyone is just as important and medication  being on time is no more important for someone with Parkinson’s than someone with diabetes or asthma for example.

As a patient I advocate for myself. I ask the nurses if I can self medicate that way I remove the anxiety that can develop if I am not able to get medication when I need it. For example if my chest is very wheezy I am able to put a nebuliser on and then let the nurses know, or if my prolonged release theophylline is due I ask the nurses for it or if they are doing a drug round ahead of time I ask if they can leave it out so I can take it when it was time. Nurses try their best and do what they can but we as patients need to advocate for ourselves to make sure we get what we need when we need it but doing it in a way that is not being disruptive and demanding.

I hope I have not come across as disregarding people with Parkinson’s and the importance of their medication as I know it is important but other medications for people are just as important. I always worry when I attend these type of consultations when there is a few who seem to have an agenda or dominate conversation.

I am going to leave this now but would appreciate others thoughts on this post as it has had me thinking a lot.