Wrong Meds Part Seven -- Other Patients

You'd be surprised. People who have been recently psychotic like being aware of what medications they are taking and why as much as those of you who don't have freaky mystical experiences to share with your friends.


This incident broke my heart.

One of the patients was sobbing. They had given her  Cogentin (Benzatropine) without the antipsychotic Haldol (Haloperidol) it usually accompanied as a side-effect reducer. No one thought to tell her why. She didn't even know what each of the medications were doing. She was very frightened and disempowered.

I and another patient answered her questions best we could and we agreed it was strange.

Was the absence of Haldol another mistake? Maybe. But could they have at least let her know what was going on. Didn't that Hippocrates person say something about involving the patient in their own care? What gives these facilities the arrogance to think that they know better than us about what we need and need to know?

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, Centennial Peaks Acute Impatient Unit must go!