Clinical reasoning
One morning, I received a phone call from a patient who was experiencing severe vomiting. They told me they couldn’t even keep water down and wanted an over-the-counter remedy to stop the vomiting. They were planning to fly that afternoon to attend their daughter’s wedding. Concerned, I reviewed their patient record and asked questions about recent travel, how long the symptoms had lasted, and if they had any loose stools. They denied traveling recently and had no diarrhea. When I asked if they were able to pass gas, they said no.
That detail made me suspect a bowel obstruction, which required immediate emergency attention. I advised the patient to go directly to the emergency room. The next day, I called to check on them but got no answer. Several days later, the patient came to the pharmacy to thank me. They had been admitted to the hospital for a bowel obstruction and were no longer vomiting. They told me they were grateful I recognized a serious problem from a phone call and helped direct them to urgent care.
This situation reminded me that pharmacists do this kind of clinical assessment regularly, often behind the scenes, helping patients avoid more serious outcomes.
Because of a pharmacist, something important happened.
