The Doctor Is In

Question:

Last week my neighbor’s daughter developed a rash. The doctor prescribed her some cream and, baruch Hashem, it’s all cleared up, but now it looks like my kids may have the same rash. My neighbor has half a tube of the medication left and she offered it to me.

The rash looks the same. Is it safe for me to just use it on my kids, or do I need to take them to get checked at the doctor too?

Answer:

Medication safety is an important topic, and it’s tricky since there are lots of things to consider about both the medication and the person to whom it’s prescribed. When your doctor recommends a medication for home use, it is usually one of two types:

1. Prescription medication: This requires the doctor to write out the order for the pharmacy to fill (such as antibiotics or blood pressure medication).

2. Over-the-counter medication: This can be bought without a prescription (such as some painkillers and some allergy medicine).

An important factor to consider is the dosage. People of different ages and sizes need different amounts of medication. Taking an amount not recommended may result in under- or overdosing, both of which are unsafe. This may also apply to topical medicine like creams since the frequency with which they are used may vary depending on the size of the patient and the medical condition.

Second, there are multiple different medications that can be used to treat a particular condition that work in different ways. For example, your doctor may suggest different antibiotics for you than they do for your child, even if you both have the same condition. This is especially relevant when considering allergies, other medical conditions, or other medications the individual may be taking. Similarly, sometimes certain medical conditions look the same from the outside—like a rash or ear infection—but have different causes that require different medications. The doctor can determine how best to treat the specific case.

As a rule of thumb, if a doctor prescribes a medication that is available by prescription only, this should not be shared without checking with the doctor first. If you think you might need the same medication your neighbor has, bring it along with you to the doctor, and they can confirm if it’s correct and what the dose is. The same is true if they advise an over-the- counter medication.

If your healthcare provider approves the medication, you should always confirm there is enough left in the container and that it isn’t expired. Refuah sheleimah to your daughter, and we’re glad to hear you have a great support system in your neighborhood!

Shula Diena, MS-II, Technion American Medical School

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