Drug Mis-use:Chlorhexidine digluconate and corneal ulceration in chuldren in Yobe, Nigeria

NOTES TO PHARMACISTS- THE IMPORTANCE OF PATIENT COUNSELLING

When events like these take place, the following questions come to mind.

1. Was there a pharmacist involved in this transaction?

or

2. Or did the  medicine  just move from the Nurse, Doctor, Shelf, Healthcare assistant to a patient without counselling.

For the benefit of those who may not know what I'm referring to, there was a story out a few days ago regarding an unfortunate incident in Yobe State where three mothers received health kits with tubes resembling eye drops.

Naturally the mothers instilled drops of the product, chlorhexidine digluconate 7.1% which is actually intended for use as an umbilical cord antiseptic and this led to corneal ulceration( injury to the cornea)-- permanent blindness.

Every tried googling Yobe? If you do, all you'll find in the image section are photos of death and war. So don't be so quick to judge the mothers. There's a high level of illiteracy in Yobe and that one more reason why Pharmacists and Healthcare professionals must adopt creative techniques of communicating with our patients and ensuring that they are well counseled before handing over medicines. 

I once practiced in Ghana as part of my and has to learn a little "Twi" in order to properly counsel patients on medication use. It is our duty as healthcare professionals to protect the public ensuring that they are adequately educated.