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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think chemist should have used safety cap?

111 replies

Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 22:20

So my dd (3.8) overdosed on penicillin this morning. Prescribed to her for an ear infection.
Whilst I was upstairs getting dressed, assuming she was finishing the last of her weetabix and watching peppa pig.
She was carrying her chair to the kitchen and opened the fridge, stood on chair and got her medicine out.
She then got her medicine spoon off the draining board and gave herself 3 x her usual dose.
AIBU to go to the chemist tomorrow and express my concern (nicely) that they should have used a safety cap since it was prescribed for a 3 yr old?

OP posts:
maytheoddsbeeverinyourfavour · 09/08/2012 22:38

I know it's a bit late now but if in the future your worried you can use a lockable cash box in the fridge to store meds safely

WinstonWolf · 09/08/2012 22:38

YANBU

I'm surprised that a medicine that can be prescribed for children and requires refrigeration doesn't have this as standard to be honest.

We have an under-counter fridge which is understandably accessible. On the many times when dc has been prescribed Erythromycin the bottle has always had a childproof cap.

PenisVanLesbian · 09/08/2012 22:39

What sort of comment is "Do u all have locks on your fridge just incase this moment ever arises?
Or r u too busy mollycoddling your kids so they never have the initiative to go do something for themselves?"

from the OP? Hmm Fucking rude is what.

Original poster
Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 22:40

I appreciate I have ultimate responsibility to keep my child safe.
I just wondered if the chemist also had some responsibility to provide safety caps for medicines prescribed for children.
Especially when they make them banana flavoured!

OP posts:
hiddenhome · 09/08/2012 22:40

We have childproof caps on the bottles of antibiotic at work with the exception of some trimethoprim liquid. Sometimes I can't get the tops off and have to ask for help Grin

BatCave · 09/08/2012 22:40

Hide it in the vegetables Wink

Seriously though, yes I understand it might be difficult to store the medicine, but she evidently knew where to look for it. No point in blaming yourself or anyone else for that matter, but it is your responsibility to make sure she didnt get to it. All drugs/medicines should be out of reach of children. If you knew that wasn't possible it would have been wise to make sure she wasn't left in the room alone.

Accidents happen, at least you know for next time, it's possibly averted a more serious accident.

JumpingThroughHoops · 09/08/2012 22:40

Overdose?

What did the hospital say? you did of course 999 due the the overdose?

missymoomoomee · 09/08/2012 22:43

I have a lockable medicine box in my fridge, only cost a few quid from boots. YABU trying to shift the blame onto the chemist.

hairylemon · 09/08/2012 22:44

For future ref get a plain medicine bottle from the chemist with a child proof top, hey will sell you one, and decant any medicine into it. The chemist may not do this for daft h&s reasons (some don't like messing about with how mess are stored) but nothing stopping you.

Sorry its blunt, on the worlds shortest phone

SlightlySuperiorPeasant · 09/08/2012 22:44

YANBU, although the lockable box for fridge medicines is an excellent suggestion and one I will use in future.

hairylemon · 09/08/2012 22:46

How meds are stored, and the worlds shittest phone, ffs

LemarchandsBox · 09/08/2012 22:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wonkylegs · 09/08/2012 22:46

I'm sorry but once medicines are in your possession - they become your responsibility with your kids.
You must be kicking yourself but it's not right to blame others.
I have a lot of rather scary medicines in the house (as I'm falling apart) including some that come in syringes which must be kept in the fridge. These especially do not come in kids safety lock packaging. I also have a 4yo DS who is literally a monkey and can climb and get stuff from anywhere (as I discovered when he turned up with a packet of crisps from the stash on the top of the kitchen cupboardAngry).
I go for a two fold approach. 1 - medicine is always kept out of sight. Preferably in locked cupboard or box (I have a cash box for my daily meds in my bedside table) but if that isn't feasible tucked away high & out of visibility.

  1. Education - since my DS was tiny and probably didn't even properly understand me, I have told him about medicine and who can and can't touch it. Children cannot touch medicine and can only be given it by a grown up. You must not touch any medicine, not even kid medicine as it can make you very very poorly etc etc. Regular reminders of this - all done with utmost seriousness.
This is the one thing in our house my naughty little monkey has never disobeyed me on - in fact he once asked granny if she was sure she was a grown up because otherwise she wasn't allowed to touch the calpol she was trying to give him for his temp.
Original poster
Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 22:46

Stop clutching pearls jumping no I didn't 999, I measured what was left and worked out she'd had 3 spoons instead of one, I rang gp who said she'll be fine.
Great idea bat of course she wouldn't go nr the veggies!
I spent my afternoon in the DIY store and screwing a lock on the kitchen door so she can't even get in the room.
Tho now worried she'll find something else to break, paint or eat!

OP posts:
LemarchandsBox · 09/08/2012 22:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

rathlin · 09/08/2012 22:49

Medicines need to be kept not just out of the reach of children but also their sight too. I don't know what the rules are about safety caps however they should really not be considered as an impediment to a toddler opening a bottle of medicine, bleach or anything else noxious as I recall reading some statistic that said a 3 yr old can open a safety cap in a couple of minutes. As you've said, I think the responsibility lies ultimately with you.

I don't follow your rationale as to why medicine for children should have a safety cap over medicine for an adult as they can just as easily decide to take the same medicine that they see a member of the family taking. I think the door is the warmest place in the fridge so probably best to put on top shelf out of sight.

NoComet · 09/08/2012 22:51

For those blaming the OP.
At exactly that age my DSIS burnt her hand very badly on Mum's iron,

Why, because she went to her room (bungalow do no stair gates) fetched her fattest soft toy to stand on. The iron was right at the back of the work top.

Never in a million years did my poor mother expect her to deliberately try to reach it.

My DD1 yes, but my sister no. It was and still is totally out of character.

BertieBotts · 09/08/2012 22:51

I always hide stuff behind meat or something else boring! (Just for future reference)

But glad to hear your DD is okay :) and yes I would expect a childproof cap on any medicines anyway, although some children can open them anyway.

MsLydia · 09/08/2012 22:53

I have a small lock at the very top of my kitchen door. If I have to go upstairs for a while I lock the kitchen door that way kids have no chance at all of getting to medicine, knives etc.

LemarchandsBox · 09/08/2012 22:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QOD007 · 09/08/2012 22:56

Reminds me a teeeeny bit of when I was on The Wiggles message board/fan club type thing back n 2000 when it was only like 40 regular members ...
This lady went nuts at the wiggle because, when she gave her son a Wiggles carrier bag to play with he put it over his head .... And it didn't have air holes in it.

I mean FairPlay, should really have air holes but she freely announced/admitted she gave it to him to play with!

Catsmamma · 09/08/2012 22:57

yes, it's quite a job to shut the door with a 3 year old in there.

JumpingThroughHoops · 09/08/2012 22:58

Flojo1979 Thu 09-Aug-12 22:46:48
Stop clutching pearls jumping no I didn't 999, I measured what was left and worked out she'd had 3 spoons instead of one, I rang gp who said she'll be fine

So it wasnt an overdose?

Hysterical thread by negligent mother leaving medicines in reach..... what ever next

CaseyShraeger · 09/08/2012 23:01

That was her response to your being "fucking rude" to her, PenisVanLesbian. You told her that she should have stored them somewhere inaccessible and high up when the fridge was only place in the entire house that the abs were allowed to be stored. And you hectored her repeatedly about it. Im not surprised she wanted to know about your magically inaccessible fridge.

18mo DD2 can get stuff out of the back of the fridge inside 10 seconds (the others were never this bad) and likes the banana stuff. And likes vegetables. We're clearly doomed. Fortunately we've always had a childproof cap on the bottles we've been given.

I do think that children's medicines, that have been specifically designed to be appealing to children, should be dispensed in childproof bottles. But at the same time this incident is a useful reminder to check, as a backup, whether that's actually been done and transfer to a chikdproof bottle if not.

Original poster
Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 23:01

Yes jumping it was an overdose, as in 3 x over her normal dose. But it wasn't a serious overdose no. But it could have been worse.
Hysterical? U should have seen me at half 7 this morning!

OP posts:
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