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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To question pharmacist RE: antibiotic

78 replies

WineDup · 26/01/2023 19:34

My son (11m) was prescribed amoxicillin on the 16th. We struggled to get the exact prescription but a pharmacist agreed to prescribe double strength, and just give half a dose from 5ml to 2.5ml. Makes sense.

However, I think they have given him an abnormally long course, he’s still not finished! This is day 10. There isn’t much left and we may have missed a dose here and there but we have been pretty consistent.

His illness was a relatively minor upper respiratory issue, the only reason we were seen as he was hospitalised last year (only for one night) with croup and bronchiolitis and I was concerned it was the same thing again.

My suspicion is that he was supposed to get 100ml of the weaker antibiotic, but take 5ml 3x/day, and I feel like they have given 100ml of the stronger antibiotic to be taken at 2.5ml/day, thus doubling the amount of antibiotic. A 10+ day course of antibiotics just doesn’t make sense to me.

Am I correct to think that the pharmacist (and in turn myself) have made a mistake?

OP posts:
SavoirFlair · 26/01/2023 19:50

What has the pharmacist said when you’ve rung them to check?

Original poster
WineDup · 26/01/2023 19:57

SavoirFlair · 26/01/2023 19:50

What has the pharmacist said when you’ve rung them to check?

I’ve not phoned them because it was only tonight that I really thought it through. I don’t want to phone if it’s a stupid question. It very well could be.

OP posts:
Tiani4 · 26/01/2023 20:00

Pop back and ask the pharmacist compared to original prescription

Pharmacists are so careful at checking and double checking ...

Tiani4 · 26/01/2023 20:02

(For the pharmacist to compare to original prescription I meant) ...

They are very careful professionals
Any dispense of different to prescribed would be self reported as they have such strict rules and would prefer to know if they made an error

Original poster
WineDup · 26/01/2023 20:04

Tiani4 · 26/01/2023 20:00

Pop back and ask the pharmacist compared to original prescription

Pharmacists are so careful at checking and double checking ...

I know - that’s why I don’t want to call up and ask a stupid question. I don’t have the original prescription. it matches the label they have printed though.

OP posts:
NCforpoo · 26/01/2023 20:08

DD has had a course of antibiotics for 10 days before so that in itself wouldn't concern me. But any time things are unclear the pharmacist will be happy to confirm. They'd rather you check its right than there be an error. I'd just call and see what they say.

SolitaryMind · 26/01/2023 20:08

I’ve just finished a 10 day course of antibiotics, I don’t think 10 days is that unusual

FionnulaTheCooler · 26/01/2023 20:09

10 days could be right, especially if you've not got much left and think you could have skipped a few doses. My DD had a 10 day course of penicillin to clear up a nasty bout of tonsillitis last month.

Original poster
WineDup · 26/01/2023 20:09

Tiani4 · 26/01/2023 20:02

(For the pharmacist to compare to original prescription I meant) ...

They are very careful professionals
Any dispense of different to prescribed would be self reported as they have such strict rules and would prefer to know if they made an error

They definitely did dispense different than prescribed due to the shortage in antibiotics. We went to about 10 pharmacies in 3 different towns to get amoxicillin, this was the only pharmacy who offered to change the prescription.

OP posts:
LBOCS2 · 26/01/2023 20:14

DD2 has had two courses of antibiotics over the past three months, and the first course was ten days. It's not that unusual at the moment I don't think.

Lolloped · 26/01/2023 20:14

You don’t have to finish the bottle. There is always some left at the end. Usually it’s prescribed for a certain number of days. Some courses of antibiotics are longer than others. Does it not say how long to take it for?

Lolloped · 26/01/2023 20:15

Oh and for scarlet fever 10 days is standard

Original poster
WineDup · 26/01/2023 20:17

Lolloped · 26/01/2023 20:14

You don’t have to finish the bottle. There is always some left at the end. Usually it’s prescribed for a certain number of days. Some courses of antibiotics are longer than others. Does it not say how long to take it for?

We were specifically told to finish the course, it doesn’t tell us how many days.

OP posts:
CrackerIsland · 26/01/2023 20:18

Does the label not say how many days it should be taken for? Usually include a course duration or stop date is included on the dispensing label.

As others have said you really need to return to the Pharmacist for clarification. Or the GP who originally prescribed it.

CrackerIsland · 26/01/2023 20:21

If it just says ‘complete the course’ then the correct amount should’ve been supplied. It’s possible a mistake has been made in the way you suggested. But without checking the original prescription no one can tell

Original poster
WineDup · 26/01/2023 20:22

LBOCS2 · 26/01/2023 20:14

DD2 has had two courses of antibiotics over the past three months, and the first course was ten days. It's not that unusual at the moment I don't think.

Thank you. My eldest is 7 and when she was younger it was always a shorter course.

OP posts:
Flameshame · 26/01/2023 20:23

its usually 5 or 10 days dependent. The bottle should say for how many days. Either way it’s not going to have done any harm

HunterAngel · 26/01/2023 20:27

Amoxicillin suspension only comes in 100ml bottles. It’s impossible to split them as it comes in as a powder the pharmacy then adds water to when dispensing. It should say on the label how long to take it for, we usually label it as ‘take 5mls three times a day for five days. Discard remainder’ for example. If there’s no duration the check with the pharmacy

WiseUpJanetWeiss · 26/01/2023 20:30

What does it say on the label?

Allthingsbrightandbeautifulx · 26/01/2023 20:32

Definitely won’t be longer than a 10 day course as the shelf life is usually 7 days. Some say 10 max.
My dd had a 10 day course of penicillin last month for tonsillitis and they gave one bottle then told me to go back on day 5 for the second as it would expire after 7 days.

LIZS · 26/01/2023 20:32

The course is the five/seven/ten days of doses not necessarily to finish the bottle.

FlippityFlippityFlop · 26/01/2023 20:36

My 15m old was given a 10 day course for something similar.

FTMbg · 26/01/2023 20:37

I had the similar happen, queried with a Dr and they said at that dose just 5 days I think. But pharmacist that dispenses it is probably a better option for checking.

Bunny2607 · 26/01/2023 20:49

My son needed antibiotics a couple of weeks ago and was given ten day course. The GP told me its because of strep A they are doing ten day courses atm for anything respiratory/chest etc

BunchHarman · 26/01/2023 20:51

I was given amoxicillin for my kid when he had strep. I was given adult tablets due to the shortage of the liquid. The course was for ten days, but the amount of tablets was greater than that. She said to dispose of the remaining tablets when we were finished. Are you sure it’s not that, and you didn’t realise?