What are emergency medicines? Medications play a great role in treating emergency that occur at home, school, workplace or any other settings. It is always recommended that you have some emergency medicines such as pain killers and other emergency medications in close vicinity in case of any medical problem that may arise. Whether it is prescribed or over the counter medicines paramount safety and care is required to ensure that the medicines do not cause any problems when used. It is important to know the medicines you have and the side effects they may have. If you are not sure always seek information from a pharmacist or a doctor on the best practices when administering the medications. To understand the do’s and don’ts of the emergency medicines follow this guide.
Emergency medicines do’s
- In case of an emergency only administer emergency medicine that is prescribed for the specific problem faced by the victim.
- Ensure that the victim does not develop allergic reactions towards the medicine. You can inquire this information from people who are close to him or her.
- Administer the emergency medication exactly the way it has been prescribed. Do not give an overdose or an under-dose to prevent more complications.
- If the victim is a woman you need to know whether she is breastfeeding or pregnant in order to understand the whether the medicines are safe.
- Only give the medicine when required, otherwise most emergencies require first aid that does not involve medications.
Don’ts with emergency medicines
- Do not administer any emergency medicine to the victim if you do understand clearly how it should be administered.
- Never give medicines without knowing if the victim develops any side effects because of the drugs.
- Do not give medicines to an unconscious victim or try to force one to take the medicines.
- Do not break or crush pills unless this is recommended by the doctor. This is a mistake many people make as they try to make it easy for the victim to take the medicine. However, this is not allowed.
- Never use emergency medicine that is expired or left with one week before the expiry date.
The most important thing when administering medicine to a medical emergency victim is to understand the effects the medication has on the specific problems. Note that most victims of emergencies may not be able to talk, so you have to take a lot of care not to administer emergency medicine that may worsen the problem.