Dear FlyLady,
I have been flying on and off for a number of years, using what techniques I need or can incorporate at the moment and then coming back later for more. I am much better at applying the Do It Now Principle at work then I am at home.
At the school I work at I am responsible for checking in and dispensing when necessary all student medications. We don’t have many, but it can get confusing when old medications are discontinued and new ones started. To help me with this I use my scheduling program to set up reoccurring reminders that pop-up at the appropriate time each day. This only works if I set the reminder as soon as the medication is checked in.
Another aspect of the medications that can get easily lost is expiration dates on “In Case Of Emergency” medications like asthma inhalers and Epi-pens. Since these items may never be used it is easy to overlook that they have expired. To handle this situation when I check in the medication I set a reminder for 1 month before the expiration date to inform the parents that a new one is needed.
How this can save a life. Last week my reminder popped-up indicating that one of the student’s Epi-Pens was set to expire. I Did It Now and e-mailed the parent. The parent Did It Now and obtained a new Epi-Pen and dropped it off at school. When the mom dropped it off she stated that they checked the other Epi-Pens in the house and realized that they were all expiring or set to expire and replaced them all. Though the child had not needed an injection in over 3 years it ended up that the following weekend the child was stung by a bee and needed the Epi-Pen. Mom let me know that she was grateful that because of my e-mail they had an current Epi-Pen on hand.
When I told my sister-in-law, who is an EMT, this story she told me of a call she went on where a woman had to inject herself three times because she had expired Epi-Pens that had lost their potency.
Please advise your FlyBabies to check their medicine cabinets, purses, car emergency kits and with their child’s school if necessary for expired EMERGENCY medications and order replacements and place a sticker/reminder on their calendars to remind them when to reorder.
Flying in the Twin Cities
Christine
FlyLady here: I am so proud of this FlyBaby for using the Do It Now Principle! Check your life-saving medications for expiration dates! Write them on your calendar. Make it part of your zone 3 detailed cleaning list. Mark it on your calendar to check it each month.
Do It Now! This could save a life; yours or your child’s!
