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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:
Original poster
Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 23:04

Thanx Casey, I will go to the chemist tomorrow and buy an empty one and explain why, maybe that will get them thinking a bit more.
Really not trying to shift blame. Just trying to prevent it happening to anyone else, was a terrible shock this morning.

OP posts:
rathlin · 09/08/2012 23:13

Just checked the regulations in the UK and it appears to be only medicines containing aspirin, paracetamol and more than 24mg of iron that need to be in child resistant packaging. This is due to very small amounts being very dangerous to children.

WorraLiberty · 09/08/2012 23:13

I've often wondered why they dont have child proof lids on the penecillin bottles

I mean, it's so sweet and vanilla flavoured normally...just what a lot of kids love.

I've never had fridge raiders OP but this still used to worry me so I used to store it in a tupperware box with an almost impossible to remove lid...at the back of the fridge.

Still I would have felt better with a childproof lid on the bottle.

PenisVanLesbian · 09/08/2012 23:15

Get a grip Casey, how can I "hector her repeatedly" in the one post I made before that comment? Do you fucking hear yourself? Hmm

hairylemon · 09/08/2012 23:16

Arses, first time someone takes my advice and someone else gets credit, gits Grin

WorraLiberty · 09/08/2012 23:17

hairy Grin

Sirzy · 09/08/2012 23:20

Worra the pencillin v DS is on at the moment has a childproof cap. The only one he has had which hasn't been child proof was the augmentin he was prescribed when we were away - I ended up storing that in a freezer bag with ice blocks rather than the caravan fridge so I knew it was out of reach!

Viviennemary · 09/08/2012 23:22

I think the medicine should have had a safety cap. But you must have noticed it didn't. So why didn't you either change the cap or store it out of reach. You can't blame the chemist entirely. On the other hand we all make mistakes and accidents happen.

JambalayaCodfishPie · 09/08/2012 23:24

"Do you fucking hear yourself?"

Surely, you mean 'can you fucking read what you fucking wrote?' Grin

foreverondiet · 09/08/2012 23:24

My 8 YO an 2 YO both had anti-biotics recently. They would never have overdosed as it was a real struggle to force them to take it (force for 2 year old and bribe for 8 YO). The 2 YO's had a safety cap and the 8 YO's didn't - same antibiotics same make just different strength - but I think that the pharmacist just added water so its the manufacturer.

FWIW I kept at back of fridge but actually only need to be kept in fridge if temp out of fridge is over 25c.

Original poster
Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 23:33

Bangs head against the wall....
'out of reach'? I don't have anywhere out of reach!
I didn't think she'd be that clever daft!
She's been told not to touch medicines. She thought she was 'helping mummy' by helping herself!

OP posts:
Original poster
Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 23:34

Anyway kitchen door now has lock so hopefully it is out of reach til she finds a way of reaching the lock

OP posts:
LemarchandsBox · 09/08/2012 23:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 09/08/2012 23:43

Oh bless her Grin

Taking the initiative is good stuff really. Just misguided in this instance.

Original poster
Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 23:46

lemar cos I'm a single parent stuck home 24/7 with a poorly kid.
One that is up at about 5am, I try to outsmart her and get up half hr before then I can be showered and sorted, unfortunately today I went downstairs to find she'd already beat me to it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 23:49

That's the thing with DD, she's so different from DS in that sense, she's independent. DS is 7 yo and would happily sit there and let u dress him, feed him and do everything (which I don't BTW!) DD wants to sol everything herself and strops when she can't, but every so often she catches me unawares and goes too far, like painting DS's rug 6 months ago.

OP posts:
Cloudbase · 09/08/2012 23:53

All my medicine is kept in a locked first aid cabinet that I fixed way up high on the kitchen wall - even my mum can't reach it Grin so I know that's safe.

But when DD and DS (4 and 5 btw) have had antibiotics they've gone in the fridge as stated on the label. It never occurred to me that they would break in, but I guess they are perfectly capable of dragging a chair into the kitchen and I know that they can both open the fridge lock.

OP, YANBU. Having said that, I've never had antibiotics without a childproof lid - I think most people expect it. Please don't beat yourself up about it - I imagine it never occurred to you it would happen, and you won't let it happen again.

LemarchandsBox · 09/08/2012 23:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Flojo1979 · 09/08/2012 23:57

How did u make it out of limits?
She opened the plastic fridge lock.

OP posts:
Original poster
Flojo1979 · 10/08/2012 00:00

I put a stair gate on her bedroom door frame, one that I struggle to open, she sussed it in 24 hrs, didn't want to risk finding alternative ways to lock it now, incase she climbs over and does more of an injury.
Considering buying one of those alarm ones now but surely she's nearly 4, seems a bit mad buying stair gates for her now.

OP posts:
neverquitesure · 10/08/2012 00:08

"The fridge was still out of limits for him at 3"

I have a 3 year old. They are unpredictable and like to 'help'.

Incidentally our fridge is not out of limits to our 3 year old. He is allowed to open it and pour himself a glass of milk. I an not quite sure how this makes me a negligent parent.

WorraLiberty · 10/08/2012 00:11

Flojo have you tried punishing your child for opening the stair gate, climbing on chairs to get to the fridge etc?

I mean does she categorically know it's wrong and naughty?

TapirBackRider · 10/08/2012 03:19

I'm a qualified pharmacy dispenser (even if I don't currently work as such), and best practice dictates that a childproof cap should be on liquid medicine bottles like these, to prevent exactly what happened to the OP.

I have no idea why the pharmacist did not put one on, but it may be worth having a word about it.

nailak · 10/08/2012 04:18

OP, i dont think you did anything wrong.
my kids do have access to the fridge and I dont punish them for taking fruit or tomatoes or yoghurt out of the fridge while i am feeding baby, doing housework or in the toilet etc, so i dont think it is unreasonable for your dc to have access and it definitely doesnt make you negligent imo.

my kids use chairs to reach everywhere, and if they want calpol often come to me with the bottle and the spoon as they cant undo the lid. if they could i am sure they would be drinking themselves, and the medicine is out of their reach but they climb.

people who are saying there is no need for these lids, then why do they exist then if not to prevent ACCIDENTS like this.

DozyDuck · 10/08/2012 06:20

OP you do know that it won't be long before your DD can open child proof bottles? DA figured them out at 2.