Pills

Elle · May 2004

I have been here for a little less than a year and saw something this morning that I never have seen here before. An employee opened a drawer in our cafeteria and took out a very large bottle of Tylenol and proceeded to take one. It looks as if the organization has purchased the Tylenol for its employees.

Is it okay for the organization to do that? I think that there may be some sort of restriction on that, not sure???

Any help would be great. Thanks to all in advance.

marc · May 2004

Every company I have ever worked with has had a supply of various over the counter medications. My current company has a supply of asparin, tylenol, ibuprofin, various allergy medications, etc.

What is your concern about having these things available?

Cinderella · May 2004

I know a lot of organizations do it, but I would discourage it. You never know if someone is going to have an allergic reaction, take too many, grind them up and put them in someone's coffee, etc. Then, knowing our lovely litigious society, you could have a liability on your hands. If people are worried about getting headaches/cramps/whatever then they can bring their meds in a little pill box in their purse/pocket. That's what I do! x:)

Pork · May 2004

ELLE: By OSHA standards every company is charged with the need for having a safe working environment and First Responder teams in work sites. Part of our program is the availability of a FIRST AID KIT, which not only provides for the treatment of injuries but the basics for minimal treatment of illnesses. Tylenol, and several other pills/supplies are available for self treatment of things like cuts and colds and headaches. A medicine treatment at the office is better than the loss of time and energy of the ee to seek outside treatment, unless it is more serious. There is a First Aid treatment register with the First Aid Kit and each is required to complete the simple task of signing for the supplies located within the kit. I highly recommend this type of approach. You want find any "pig heart valves" but we can provide it one is needed.

PORK

cthr · May 2004

I coordinate our first response team and we are not allowed to give any type of otc medication. It is called prescribing without a license. We were told that if we have first aid kits available, they could not have any type of tylenol, aspirin, etc.

Craig D · May 2004

I agree with Pork, we have a First Aid room set up to handle these types of items. There is a register that needs to be signed. Otherwise the ee wants to go home to get Ttylenol and we lose a great amount of production. We also have First Responders and EMTs that care for any other injuries. In fact the State of TN has been debating on whether to require ADTs on all facilities.

mushroomHR · May 2004

We were advised not to supply these items to our employees. As stated in a prior post, in this litigious society, we are opening ourselves up to a lawsuit by providing these medications. We only supply basic first aid supplies, such as band aids, creams, etc. If anyone needs tylenol, asprin, etc. they must provide their own.

Elle · May 2004

I highly agree with mushroomHR and cthr, we live in a very litigous society and don't want the organization to be responsible for supplying an ee something that they may be allergic to. I have to disagree with Pork, I would much rather have an ee take time off of work to receive a professional opinion on their sickness versus attempting to handle it w/otc medication.

Thank you all so very much for your insight and help.

Gillian3 · May 2004

This is not a new topic. You could research and get other replies. As I recall, the opinions were mixed, some not giving any aspirin, tylenol etc because of the potential liability and others saying why not, the value far outweighs the potential risk. I am in the latter group.

deniseE · May 2004

We have a policy that permits ee's to bring in their own medication...but it must be in the original bottle and maintained on their person or in their desk.

We were also concerned about the liability of providing access to medication..

cthr · May 2004

We have our first responders trained in basic first aid and CPR. We do have some EMTs on staff as well, however, we were advised by the Red Cross, who conducts our training and by our legal counsel that in our state, if you make available any type of medication, even if it is over the counter, it is prescribing without a license. Even the EMTs on staff can't give any type of medications.

Bill ONeill · May 2004

In my past life (with a manufacturing company) we had a part-time nurse, who would dispense when she was present. At other times, we would simply leave out a dish with Aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, for ee's to take as they wish. (in so doing, we probably supplied half of Boston with the above). We never had a problem with bad reactons, etc. Don't see an issue. Cheers,

Yahoo · May 2004

Okay, I understand that we live in a litigious society, but I've not yet heard of Osco or Walgreens getting sued for selling someone Tylenol. I'm okay with providing OTC medications.

cthr · May 2004

>Okay, I understand that we live in a litigious
>society, but I've not yet heard of Osco or
>Walgreens getting sued for selling someone
>Tylenol. I'm okay with providing OTC
>medications.

WHen a person goes into a store and buys a particular medication, they are making the choice. When you provide tylenol or motrin or aspirin, you are making the choice as to what is available to them. That's the difference.

Yahoo · May 2004

As long as I'm not suggesting or "prescribing" - it's still their choice to take or not take, isn't it?

cthr · May 2004

The difference is that they have a number of choices when they go to a Wal Mart or osco and they are making their own decision as to what to buy. When you provide them with a product you are "endorsing" a particular brand.

RobS · May 2004

Our company has a medicine cabinet with general first aid items (bandages, creams, etc,) as well as cold medicine, decongestants, pain relievers, etc. The pills are in individual packets each containing one dose. The idea is that if you have a headache or whatever and didn't bring your own meds with you, the stuff in the cabinet is available for use, but isn't there for general everyday or regular usage. The employees should be bringing in their own supply of asprin.
In the case you mention at your workplace with "a very large bottle of Tylenol" I would have concern with everyone dipping into one big bottle. It doesn't sound too sanitary. Plus you don't know if someone may tamper with what's in there. If if were individual sealed packets you can have some degree of confidence that it wasn't tampered with.

Yahoo · May 2004

Good point - need to have individual packets........

Parabeagle · May 2004

We addressed this issue at our company a couple of years ago, and many of the detractors of providing medication cited many of the same "litigious society" arguments. We decided not to buy bottles of pills for the employees but rather had our first aid provider supply the individual packets and keep them in our first aid kit. If an employee wants one, he/she can get one out of the kit; but that is then THEIR choice and the fact that they are individually sealed apparently shields us from some liability (according to the company who sells us the drugs, anyway).

I am firmly in the camp that believes the benefit of having pain relievers available far outweighs the risks associated with it.

Pork · May 2004

JAMES/BRAD/WILLIAMS: What say you on the legal side of this post. Is there a litigation issue here or are we HRs joining the tribe and beating the drum of concern for litigation? This appears to be one of those mole hills that is sometimes taken to the mountain/hill with little more than our emotions and the fear that we are serving the entire country with OTC pills. HOG MANURE, on this issue if it is truly a litigation issue and even more HOG MANURE on this emotional HR issue without substence.

PORK

Balloonman · May 2004

You can buy dispensers, $0.05 or $0.25 per packet.....Conney Safety Products carried them........ I have been on both sides of the fence............ it really does not matter. I believe there may have been a lawsuit in the past......but where I was that sold them, we had 535 people.........so it was as much of a cost issue as anything.......
My $0.02 worth!
DJ The Balloonman

psrcello · May 2004

DJ,

That's exactly the approach our plant took. We removed the "free" pain relievers, cough drops, etc. from the first aid kits, and installed a vending machine that dispenses individual dose packets of various over-the-counter items for 50 cents. So far, this has worked well for us.

Pills

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