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Pain killers are no sweets

When pharmacy manager Bjørn Krabbesund has an “in-the-think-box-day” at Vitusapotek Tvedestrand, many ideas are popping up. Here is one which ended up as more than a wild thought, including a nice dash of ICARE. He started an initiative in high schools against the irresponsible use of pain killers.

We are present in a high school classroom in the southern part of Norway. 40 high school students are sitting in a half circle. In front of them stands pharmacist Bjørn Krabbesund with a Vitusapotek bag filled with different pain killers. And a box of sweets. More about that later.

Taking responsibility

This message by Bjørn Krabbesund appeared a couple of weeks earlier in regional manager Gyda Riis’ mailbox:  “I’ve thought a bit about the extended use of pain killers among youngsters, and have taken an initiative towards the local high school. As specialists in medicine use we have a responsibility to counteract this negative trend.

I have offered to give a lecture to the students, and hopefully give them another view and additional knowledge about drugs. Maybe this will also open their eyes and show them how useful our pharmacies are as a low threshold service and knowledge center for drugs and drug related problems.” This was only the beginning of a promising idea.

Project receives great appreciation and feedback

The initiative was greeted with great enthusiasm at the school, and Bjørn Krabbesund was warmly welcomed. The topic, the school said, is an important but hardly mentioned one. On 20 September 2016 Bjørn Krabbesund gave his first of two lectures. With great energy he told about the competence the students can find in Vitusapotek and what can be offered there.

But what do the students know about the use of pain killers? Not much, it appeared. Some products had familiar names for them, of course, but the fact that they are potent drugs with fatal consequences if used wrong came as a frightening surprise.

For me, this is one of the important ICARE obligations, and goes far beyond my opening hours and where my pharmacy is situated.

Bjørn Krabbesund , pharmacy manager  at Vitusapotek Tvedestrand

A successful move against the abuse of pain killers

Back in the staff room Bjørn Krabbesund was welcomed with an applause for the way he involved the students. To get feedback at the first grade level can sometimes be hard, but the lecture turned out as a very successful event.

The trick was as simple as it was smart. Anyone who answered or asked a question received a piece of chocolate. And is there any 16-year-old student who says no to a free treat during school hours?