My younger daughter has had a cough and cold for the past few weeks that just won’t go away. We were at the doctor the other day and were getting a prescription just in case an infection develops. You know, one of those to have on hand if you need it over the weekend. So the doctor is writing the prescription for the often used Amoxicillin. Well, both my children are allergic to penicillin, the main ingredient in Amoxicillin.

As she begins to write, I said, “She can’t take Amoxicillin or any penicillin based medicine, she is allergic.” She stopped mid pen stroke to check the file, and there it was, in big black letters on a big red sticker, allergies” Penicillin. Needless to say we got a prescription for another antibiotic, which I hope we don’t need to fill, but you just need to stay diligent.

I love this doctor; I think she is on top of things, non-alarmist yet aggressive enough to be thorough. But she is human, and who knows how many patients she sees a day. She’s the best in the practice, getting an appointment with her is akin to getting in to see the Queen (well, maybe I shouldn’t go that far). But she is human and can make mistakes, does make mistakes. That’s why we as parents need to double check, question, and be knowledgeable.

Whenever we get an antibiotic prescription, I ask. No matter what it is, I ask if there is penicillin in it. When I go to the pharmacy to get it filled, I ask. And often when I pick it up I ask just one more time. I have a friend who knows every antibiotic, what they are good for, how they’ve reacted with her kids and what they take most often. I’m not that concise, I just want to make sure there isn’t any penicillin in mine. So I ask. And I remind doctors and pharmacists that my kids can’t have it. That’s my job. They have the job of prescribing under good judgment and filling a prescription with the correct dosage and days, it’s mine to double check it all.

My point is, just ask, just double check. Mistakes happen. Doctors are overworked. Pharmacists can make typos. It’s scary to think about, but we can be the check and balance. Just like you ask about your food allergic child’s food, or if your friend has a dog if your child is allergic, ask about their medicine (it’s a good idea to double check even if they’re not allergic, by the way).

Now we just have to get rid of this cold!

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