Persistence pays off

By Dawn Jefferies
WSLS10 Anchor/Reporter
Published: February 18, 2008

Working in news either makes you paranoid or more astute. I choose to believe the latter. Maybe it was the recent FDA warning about over the counter cold medicines for young children that did it, but I had an experience the other day that made me want to share it with someone. That’s you. 

I went to Target to pick up an over the counter medicine for my daughter. I asked my usual, ever so helpful pharmacist where to find what I was looking for. She asked me if I was getting the product for myself or for my daughter as there was a regular version AND a version for kids. I told her it was for my daughter. As it turned out, she was out of both. But as I mentioned, she is ever so helpful and quickly got on the phone calling other pharmacies to see if they had any in stock so I would not have to go in and out of a dozen other stores looking. 

I headed to one of the chain drug stores that told her it had what I needed. When I got there, that pharmacist directed me to the product; however, it was the regular version, not the version for kids. I asked if they had the version for kids. She told me, positively, they did not make a kid version of this product and that I could use this. Certain that my regular pharmacist knew what she was talking about, I asked if she was sure, that another pharmacist told me they did. Answer: YES.

Still a bit skeptical, I bought the product, got out to my car and called the toll free number on the back of the box. As much as I wanted to get this medicine for my daughter, I wanted to make sure I gave her the right product and the right amount, even more. The company spokeswoman told me they, indeed made a kids version. It came out last year. She was also able to tell me which stores typically carried it. We headed to one more store to buy it (Oh, and I also headed back to my second stop to return the wrong product.)

I realize there are a lot of products out there, with new ones probably coming out every day. But this is not my expertise, I rely on the people “who know” for the answers. The correct answers when it comes to medication.

Call it following an instinct or just taking the time to double check. I’m just glad I did.