“ ok... if anybody refused those medications would you still administer them?...”
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Yes, but only you.
Actually ya got me thinkin’.
So, the drug boxes are sealed with a breakable plastic seal that has a number on it.
When you open the drug box, that means you have to fill out an extra form (which isn’t a big deal unless you have more than one patient or it’s real busy that day/night.) than take the drug box to the Hospital Pharmacy to get a new one that is sealed.
Even if you used one dose of one drug, the whole box gets replaced and checked.
So we don’t open the drug boxes for small or stupid reasons.
Some Hospital Pharmacies are buried in the middle of the Hospital and walking it there takes time. If it’s very busy, our Alpha Numeric pagers are going off with another run as we’re pulling up to an E.R. to drop off a patient we still have.
So if I would open a drug box, or my regular partner, the patient needs what we want to give them. The patient is serious, or possible unconscious.
So you really got me thinkin’ about that because looking back, I can’t recall a patient (that’s A&O X3) ever refusing an I.V. or medication. If we’re intubating them, again they are not responsive (typically). Some drugs can be administered down the E.T. Tube. I like to give cardiac meds that route.
Now if a patient is in need of a life saving medication I can still administer the drug even if they refuse in certain cases.
It’s called “Implied Consent”.
Meaning, that person would consent if they were in their right frame of mind, Alert and Oriented X3 (aware of Person, place and time) etc.
I have used “Implied Consent” for people before.
Hypoglycemic Diabetics can be very confused semi-conscious and deny treatment.
Well, guess what? They’re getting D-50 I.V. Push whether they like or not. LOL.
When they come around again, they’re happy and thankful.
The same for drug overdoses. They will get Narcan or a Coma Cocktail or both even if they refuse.
So there you have it. A short lesson from the anals of Detroit Emergency Medical.
Yes I said anals.