Medication safety
A man came in with a prescription for his 16-year-old son who had a sprain. The prescription included Naproxen and Cyclobenzaprine. I filled it and counseled the father on how his son should take the medications. After he left, I noticed him return shortly after and head to the over-the-counter section where we keep analgesics. I saw him pick up a pack of Aleve, which is a brand name for Naproxen.
I approached him and asked if the Aleve was for the same son the prescription was for. He said yes, explaining that the doctor had told him to pick up Aleve separately, and he had just remembered that he hadn’t done so earlier when picking up the prescriptions. I explained that Aleve and the prescribed Naproxen were the same active medication. I also pointed out that giving both would be duplicated therapy, increasing the risk of gastrointestinal side effects for his son.
He thanked me for the clarification and returned the Aleve to the shelf. Because of a pharmacist, something important happened.
