Cases

Description

Case 1

Mrs. Zilá, a 67-year-old woman, began feeling pain in her neck and head, dizziness, restlessness, and palpitations. She consulted a cardiologist and, after a series of tests, was diagnosed with hypertension. Two medications were prescribed to be taken in the morning on an empty stomach. Mrs. Zilá entered the first pharmacy that she saw after leaving the hospital and was startled by the price of the drugs. However, as the doctor had left her worried about the necessity of starting medication as soon as possible, she bought it and started the treatment. In the following days, she took the drugs only when she felt pain, and, as time passed, the symptoms gradually became worse. Because she thought that the treatment wasn’t effective, she asked her neighbour, who is also hypertensive, for advice. The neighbour told Mrs. Zilá to double the dose of medication already prescribed by the doctor, and also indicated a third drug that he was using. Mrs. Zilá followed the neighbours’ advice and did not feel better. On the contrary, she needed to return to the hospital with an even lower blood pressure.

Case 2

Karina is a businesswoman that travels for work very often and has had recurring headaches. But the medicine that she leaves in her car for emergencies had not been helping her, even though it was not expired. She switched, on her own, to another drug that promised similar results. At first, it worked well, but Karina starts presenting rashes on her skin, which intensified over time. The following week, she had difficulties breathing, and her husband took her to the emergency. There, she was treated and diagnosed with allergy/hypersensitivity symptoms, and, because of her medical history, the doctor supposed that the allergy started with the last drug introduced.

Case 3

Mariana is a teenager who just had her first urinary tract infection. She felt a lot of pain and went to the doctor for a diagnosis and consultation. After all the tests, the doctor prescribed two drugs and said that one was an antibiotic and another for urinary pain. She took the medications strictly as prescribed, but noted that her urine was different, orange-coloured, which worried her. As a precaution, she stopped using the drugs. Following the persistence of symptoms, she returned to consult the doctor, who ordered new tests to verify the possibility of bacterial resistance. This led to the development of a new treatment without interruption.

Case 4

Cesar, an economist, lives with his wife and son. He went to a drugstore to buy his insulin and found a promotion in anthelmintic drug: every three boxes bought, earned one more for free. He bought six boxes, leaving the drugstore with eight of them for his family and parents. At home, he, his wife, and his son took their doses. However, after the purchase, his parents reported that they were allergic to one of the excipients of the medicine. The drugs were only valid for two more months, which was probably the reason for the sale. Since the drugs would not be used, Cesar flushed the pills down the toilet to prevent their child or dog from accessing them. The packaging, bubble wrap, and leaflet were discarded into the non-recyclable waste.