dispensing aspirin

donicek

Do any of you provide aspirin for your managers or others to keep in a desk for employees to use? What is your policy on doing this? We feel there is too much liability to do this and we took aspirin out of the first aid kits. What have you done about this? thanks

Balloonman

I have had this issue in the past in a larger manufacturing environment. We installed a coin operated medicine dispenser, avoids the whole liability issue. If needed I can give you the name of a good source for this. In another past life, we had the medicine available, and just directed the managers not to recommend they take asprin or tylenol, let them choose for themselves.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

Parabeagle

We do just what DJ has done in the past. We use a service to stock/replenish our first aid kits (aspirin, acetomenephin, ibuprofen only), so we don't deal with it directly. Our commercial lines insurance company researched the issue and said that as long as we don't directly offer the medicine but it's there for the taking, there is no liability issue.

hrbanker

We have a service that keeps our first aid kits supplied with aspirin, non-aspirin and a combination pain killer, as well as bandages and ointments. Everything is individually wrapped and employees have access to the supplies so they're not asking a manager for medication. -One would think this job is a headache!

We actually made sure aspirin was included in all the kits after an employee had a heart attack on the job. The first thing the e-squad did was have him chew aspirin. He's back at work now.

Gillian

This is a debate between liability/lawyers and common sense. Over the years I have helped cure many a headache by having aspirin around and have not had a single liability problem. The best approach is as suggested in the other posts.

LindaS

We make available pain relieving medications (both apsirin and non aspirin) to our employees. These are packaged individually and are available in our first aid room. They are provided at no cost to the employee and we have never run into a problem. We do not recommend one over the other but let the individual make the decision.

mrbill

We simply have an assortment of standard packaged medications available (Advil, Tylenol, Aspirin)that we leave out in our 1st Aid room, for our employees to obtain as needed. Never had a problem, etc.
Just as a comment, the standard reaction to one with chest pains, is to have them take aspirin right away.

njjel

Wherever I have worked it has been against company policy to dispense any type of medicines. The reason being that the liability falls to the company in the event of an adverse reaction to the meds. Would that ever happen? Who knows, but it wasn't worth the risk. Having a machine which dispenses the medication to the employee when they pay for it is the perfect answer.