The pharmacy rant - again

Really!!!!
I guess I only have myself to blame, because I didn't change pharmacies after my initial pharmacy rant (see here). But I was too lazy to change pharmacies and thought I'd give them another chance -

We've just started ditropan for Nickolas' bladder. This is not a medication I've been looking forward to - as I've described in a previous post (here). So I've been researching it.
Not only is it not considered safe for children under 5 (or 6 depending where you are reading) but that doesn't keep urologists from prescribing it. It is very very common for infants with spina bifida to be prescribed it - way before they turn 6. Now not considered safe seems to be drug-speak for we haven't tested it on infants and children under 6 so we have to cover our buts. Well it seems that enough infants with spina bifida have been on it - they should get their acts together and either say yes it is safe, or no it is not. Not just hide behind a 'we haven't tested it, so we can't say' because it is being tested - on our kids!!!
OK that was so not the pharmacy rant I started to write about!

So anyways - aren't pharmacists supposed to protect kids from being prescribed a medication they are contraindicated for? Or is that asking too much - isn't that what they do?! But we are still taking it, even if he is in this age group. So my problem with my pharmacy - At Ritson and Taunton - is that they don't know what they are talking about!
Seriously. I know more about this medication than the pharmacists who's job it is to know about this medication. And I learned about it by spending a bit of time online and reading the label of the drug! So first of all the pharmacists read the prescription wrong. It was written 1.5mL tid - they wrote it as 2.5 mL tid (tid = three times a day). OK doctors scribble, I'm not too happy about it - but I can (kinda) see where the mistake can be made (as a fellow medical professional - not as a mother). Actually you know what, I cannot see where they are coming from. They are accountable for writing the wrong prescription - messy writing is not an excuse.

They asked if I wanted to talk to the pharmacist because I haven't had this medication before. Sure, why not. So I asked about side effects - the first thing he said was dizziness, so if Nickolas was walking - nope. Then he went on and on about being dry during the night with bed wetting - still nope.
He said also to watch for dry mouth and dry eyes. OK good to know. I asked about constipation - oh yes, constipation could be a side effect - because the bladder and bowels are so close and relaxing the bladder could relax the bowels. OK, gotcha - even though I already knew this.
Then I asked about over heating. He didn't know what I meant, he asked me if I meant dehydration. Well, not really, but sure I guess over-heating like dehydration. No, dehydration is not a side effect. Do not worry about over heating.
WRONG!!!!!

I know from talking with other moms who's kids are on ditropan that over heating is big. And if you look up ditropan at this link, it has a whole section on What is the most important information I should know about Ditropan?

Ditropan can cause heat prostration (fever and heat stroke due to decreased sweating) in high temperatures. If you live in a hot climate or will be exposed to high temperatures, take appropriate precautions.

Now I guess Canada may not be considered a hot climate. But when we've had 30 - 40 degree (Celsius) weather for the last month - I think we can qualify. So how come my pharmacist - the one who is supposed  to know about the medications they give out - it's his job! did not know the most important this I should know about Ditropan. And made me kinda think I didn't know what I was talking about!

I am extremely unhappy about this. I feel a letter coming on!!! Right after I call around the different pharmacy's.

Pharmacy Rant

Fyi this is a bit of a rant but it is something that pisses me off. Enough that at 2am I am awake and writing this! (I am awake because the kids are sick and Katheryn needs extra tlc, but I can't go back to sleep).

Nickolas is on a prophalaxis (just in case) antibiotic - trimethoprim - because we cath him and don't want an infection. This is a medication he will be on indefinitely, as long as we continue to cath him. When we first got it, at Sick kids we were told they only make up 30 days at a time, keep it at room temperature or it isn't stable. Gotcha.
We transferred the prescription to our local pharmacy. The next month it said to keep in the fridge for up to 90 days. We didn't we were only using it for 30. The third month it was the same, it was kept in the fridge until we picked it up. Then I also needed to ask for a dropper so I could give it. The last dropper wasn't long enough for the bottle.
The prescription changed to a 1.5mL dosage and the prescription was written for 3x 90 days. No they could not give me only 30 days worth because that was not how the prescription was written. OK. Kyle picked up the prescription and I was surprised it came in a large bottle. Oh well, stuck it in the fridge. Went to give it to Nickolas a few hours later and noticed the sticker saying "do not refrigerate". Pulled out the other bottle saying "refrigerate for up to 90 days". ?!
So I called the pharmacy, talked to 2 different people before one could answer my question. Like when you say you want to talk to a pharmacist they screen to see if it is really a pharmacist question! Finally yes it can be kept at room temperature for 30 days but then becomes unstable. So a 90 day dose keep refrigerated.
So if I blindly followed the stickers Nickolas would have been taking garbage for 2 months until he got the next 90 day supply! Isn't this what pharmacists do?! Provide medication (that works) to people!!

I don't know who puts the stickers on at that pharmacy! I've gotten birth control pills that have the "may cause drowsiness" and "do not take with alcohol" stickers (instead of "no smoking"). But that was birth control pills and wasn't a big deal. This kind of is. This is medication for my 3 month old.

To top it all off, when I finally went to give it to him, I realized they didn't give me a dropper - or something to give the medication with! And I didn't have a 1.5mL dropper. What I had at home only had a 1mL mark - was I supposed to guess?!
Really! Shouldn't they provide the medication AND a way to administer it? I won't even get into the fact that one of the droppers I got in Dec wouldn't reach the bottom of the bottle!

So there is my rant. I feel a bit better. I am going in tomorrow morning to get a dropper or syringe or SOMETHING to give Nickolas his medication.
I might also test out another pharmacy. Can I give out practice scenarios to local pharmacies? Put them on probation?