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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not trust this medicine?

33 replies

blooshboon · 05/05/2025 19:35

Took DD (5.5) to OOH today, as she’s had a fever since Friday, and wasn’t fully responding to medicine. Was diagnosed with tonsillitis and possible urine infection, DR said, can’t confirm it was a definite positive as in children sometimes when they have a seperate infection, urine can still show a positive.

Prescribed us penicillin, which she gave us there in the hospital, told to give one dose before bed then do a 9-3-9 routine from the morning.

Gone to give DD her first dose for tonight, but the antibiotic bottle wasn’t sealed. And after opening, the foil lid had a clear poke in it, looks like a finger had pushed through the foil.

Now obviously this is a situation as my child has an infection and needs the antibiotics, and I don’t want her infection progressing, but I can’t help but have a gut feeling not to give her medicine from an unsealed finger hole: bottle.

And as she was only going to have one dose tonight anyway, I’m thinking would it be unreasonable to just wait, go to my pharmacy tomorrow morning and explain, and get a fresh bottle of antibiotic?

wwyd?

OP posts:
Seawolves · 05/05/2025 19:37

Was it reconstituted at the hospital?

Original poster
blooshboon · 05/05/2025 19:38

Seawolves · 05/05/2025 19:37

Was it reconstituted at the hospital?

You see, this is the thing as I’m not sure, as dr was only out the room for 1-2 minutes before heading back.

She said medicine was kept in the hospital, she weren’t sure if they’d even have any left with it being bank holiday and after a Sunday.

OP posts:
Hankunamatata · 05/05/2025 19:39

Most penicillin have to have water added by pharmacy as they come as a powder

ColonelRhubarbBikini · 05/05/2025 19:40

All liquid antibiotics at my pharmacy come in powdered form at the bottom of the bottle. When you come collect your medicine we add water to it to make the liquid (I get to do my very best Tom Cruise in Cocktail impression making sure it’s all mixed).

Liquid antibiotics have a short shelf life so they’re not made up until they’re ready to be collected.

Theunamedcat · 05/05/2025 19:40

Read the side of the bottle it will usually give instructions on how to reconstitute it from powder that would explain why the seal is broken

Original poster
blooshboon · 05/05/2025 19:42

I understand how penicillin is made up as we’ve had it before, I’m just concerned as to why if it was made up, the foil wasn’t taken completely off, as it usually is, and instead a hole has been poked in the foil?

This is what isn’t sitting right with me.

OP posts:
ColonelRhubarbBikini · 05/05/2025 19:44

Ah yeah I see. That’s odd because I always just remove the foil. Could it be that a hole was poked in it and the water poured through the hole? Would be an odd way to do it but possible. If you’re really concerned and there’s a pharmacy open near you you could go ask the pharmacist what they think.

khaa2091 · 05/05/2025 19:48

I’ve made it up before by poking a syringe with the requisite amount of water through the foil in a hurry.
It is not going to have sat around for days in unsuitable storage (which is I guess what you are worried about).
I think getting the antibiotics is more important.

Chocolatehobnobs25 · 05/05/2025 19:48

Water measured in a syringe and then the tip pushed through the foil to mix it would be my guess?

Original poster
blooshboon · 05/05/2025 19:48

ColonelRhubarbBikini · 05/05/2025 19:44

Ah yeah I see. That’s odd because I always just remove the foil. Could it be that a hole was poked in it and the water poured through the hole? Would be an odd way to do it but possible. If you’re really concerned and there’s a pharmacy open near you you could go ask the pharmacist what they think.

Yeah, this is the thing that’s just sitting on me, every single time we’ve had penicillin, the foil is always removed, water is added, it’s shaken and off you pop.

It is the fact that I didn’t visually see them make the penicillin ( as you usually do is the pharmacy, at least mine you do ) and the hole blatantly looks as though a finger has been pushed through, as the edges are rugged, so not like a syringe that’s after the water in….

I just don’t know if it’s worth the risk over one dose.

OP posts:
Original poster
blooshboon · 05/05/2025 19:49

I’m not worried about stored antibiotic, I’m worried about it possibly being tampered with, this is my concern. And it may sound unreasonable, but there’s been so many horror stories about staff purposely hurting people it just isn’t sitting with me tonight.

Although the 4 days no sleep could be causing this

OP posts:
newyearsresolurion · 05/05/2025 19:52

Tampered with by the doctor ? Nurse? Pharmacist??

JDM625 · 05/05/2025 19:59

And it may sound unreasonable, but there’s been so many horror stories about staff purposely hurting people it just isn’t sitting with me tonight.

Have there been? Could you perhaps provide links to a few of these horror stories OP? As a health professional myself, I'd be very interested to hear about the 'SO MANY horror stories' about myself and colleagues?

Kindly OP, do you have health anxiety or other MH issues? You are considering stopping your child having antibiotics, because you think a Dr poked his/her finger through the foil?

bakebeans · 05/05/2025 20:10

I used to mix up with water on the ward before dispensing when sending patients home. It usually comes as a powder and we would mix up with the correct amount of water

bakebeans · 05/05/2025 20:11

blooshboon · 05/05/2025 19:49

I’m not worried about stored antibiotic, I’m worried about it possibly being tampered with, this is my concern. And it may sound unreasonable, but there’s been so many horror stories about staff purposely hurting people it just isn’t sitting with me tonight.

Although the 4 days no sleep could be causing this

Edited

What the actual? Where is your evidence! 🤣🤣🤣

Original poster
blooshboon · 05/05/2025 20:16

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34719361.amp

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/mar/05/nhs.ukcrime

https://www.hsj.co.uk/home/killer-nurses-among-staff-stripped-of-nhs-pensions/5066945.article

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Stepping_Hill_Hospital_poisoning_incident

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/aug/18/lucy-letby-found-guilty-of-murdering-seven-babies-at-chester-hospital

As much as I love, and am extremely grateful to have the NHS, let’s not pretend that these things don’t happen. And whilst rare, it still happens. You might be right, and it could be sleep deprivation making me think twice. I’m also unwell myself.

and I want to make this statement to anyone who works for NHS, I truly mean no offense. But unfortunately things have happened within the NHS that have caused probably a little paranoia.

OP posts:
Duidi123 · 05/05/2025 20:16

When I used to make these antibiotics up on the ward I would poke a hole in the top with the syringe to put the water in. Either that way or completely removing the seal is correct, it’s just the way I was shown to do it.

Lougle · 05/05/2025 20:19

I'd be quite confident that if it's got a ragged hole then they may have used a gloved finger to create it. Give her the antibiotics, it's fine.

HaveSomeHam · 05/05/2025 20:22

I wouldn’t have thought twice about this tbh. The antibiotics need water added to them… I would’ve just assumed the pharmacist had used a syringe rather than removed the foil completely. Would you feel better if the foil had been removed? How would that have prevented tampering?

I’m genuinely not having a go, I understand your trepidation, I’m always a bit overly suspicious but in this case I would’ve trusted the pharmacist tbh

ArminTamzerian · 05/05/2025 20:29

This makes no sense at all. You're worried it's tampered with because theres a hole in the foil...but it there was no foil you would be absolutely happy with it?

That's completely illogical.

Youbutterbelieve · 05/05/2025 20:36

So I do understand your concern, and medical staff have been known to tamper with medication, I don't see why you are more worried on this occasion than if the foil had been completely removed? In both scenarios the medication is already open before given to you.

Original poster
blooshboon · 05/05/2025 20:36

ArminTamzerian · 05/05/2025 20:29

This makes no sense at all. You're worried it's tampered with because theres a hole in the foil...but it there was no foil you would be absolutely happy with it?

That's completely illogical.

Edited

Well I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know there was foil on an antibiotic bottle, as in all my years of receiving antibiotics and giving them, the foul has always been off. So I guess even seeing foil threw me off.

OP posts:
Original poster
blooshboon · 05/05/2025 20:37

Youbutterbelieve · 05/05/2025 20:36

So I do understand your concern, and medical staff have been known to tamper with medication, I don't see why you are more worried on this occasion than if the foil had been completely removed? In both scenarios the medication is already open before given to you.

I guess it’s because usually I head to the pharmacy to collect, and watch them make it. I think that’s what it is to be honest.

OP posts:
ArminTamzerian · 05/05/2025 20:39

blooshboon · 05/05/2025 20:36

Well I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know there was foil on an antibiotic bottle, as in all my years of receiving antibiotics and giving them, the foul has always been off. So I guess even seeing foil threw me off.

Show quote history

But you understand that there is foil, and it is usually removed, right? So every time you've got it, it could have, but wasn't, tampered with.

Exactly the same as now. Just use the bloody antibiotics.

Lougle · 06/05/2025 07:15

blooshboon · 05/05/2025 20:36

Well I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know there was foil on an antibiotic bottle, as in all my years of receiving antibiotics and giving them, the foul has always been off. So I guess even seeing foil threw me off.

Show quote history

Just to reassure you, the foil is there to keep the powder dry. If moisture gets in, the powder is ruined. When they make up the antibiotic, they pierce or remove the foil, then add water.

The instructions are extremely specific. For example, Amoxicillin says:

"Add 88ml of water to reconstitute the product. Close the cap securely. Shake the bottle vigorously to dissolve the content. The product appears pale yellow to yellow colored suspension with fruity aromatic odor after reconstitution."

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/10891/smpc#gref