Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong is concerned that Tylenol is being over-prescribed to sick people in small NWT communities.
She brought the issue to the attention of the legislative assembly on Feb. 29.
“There have been dozens of stories over the years of health centres prescribing Tylenol to very sick or even dying individuals seeking medical attention, only [for those people] to be dismissed or minimized and unheard,” she said, addressing Health Minister Lesa Semmler. “Does the minister agree that Tylenol is being over-prescribed to residents in our smaller communities?”
Semmler noted that, while she could not comment on specific incidents, she and her colleagues “continue to hear stories” about such things.
“Every time there’s a complaint that is put forward, that is looked into,” she said.
Semmler also pointed to the relatively new Office of Client Experience, which she said was created “so that people in the Northwest Territories can go directly to them when they’re having concerns or if they have a complaint.”
Weyallon Armstrong’s comments came one day after several residents of Whati posted on Facebook about an incident in which a woman was allegedly turned away from the local health centre, and encouraged to take Advil.
“[I] told them on Friday my [girlfriend] was sick and couldn’t breathe,” a Facebook user wrote on Feb. 28. “Finally on Sunday, after three calls, they finally took her when she couldn’t breathe or move. They could’ve fixed her on Friday but they didn’t see her until Sunday night. Now she’s on full life support and might not make it through the night. [Expletive] Whati health centre is to blame. Called emergency all weekend and they said it was stress or an anxiety attack, and on Sunday they said just double the dosage of Advil or relaxing pills…
“She was taking the wrong meds for three days,” the individual added.
The woman in question reportedly died soon after, which prompted further outcries on social media.
“When is something going to be done about this?” one person wrote. “This makes me so mad. This young mom was ignored. Her life could have been saved, but no… Tylenol, Tylenol, Tylenol.
“Nurses didn’t do their jobs. Nurses didn’t care? This happens all over the North and I’m so sick of it. How do they get away with this? They need to be held accountable,” they continued.
When contacted for comment on the incident in Whati, Department of Health and Social Services spokesperson Andrew Wind noted that, like Semmler in the legislative assembly, he could not address specific incidents.
“[Tlicho] Community Services Agency (TCSA) is committed to providing quality care and is reviewing what happened to understand the situation, address concerns raised, and – if found – address any gaps or errors in care. As part of the review, it will be determined if an outside investigation is required,” Wind said.
“In response to concerns raised by residents on social media, we take their feedback seriously. When a patient has concerns about their care, we encourage them to bring these to the TCSA as soon as possible so that we can work productively and collaboratively to address them.”
Wind said there are three objectives when people contact TCSA about incidents like this.
-to understand the concerns and look at the specific incident in question
-to assess if there were any errors or omissions in the provision of care, disclose these to the patient/guardians, and ensure that any remaining care gaps are addressed
-to create an action plan to improve and prevent future issues. This may include staff training or other measures
He also noted that “if errors in care are not at issue, we still know that patients often seek to understand what happened and why.”
“We work with the patient/guardian/family to explain why the provision of care happened the way that it did and clear up any issues around unmet expectations or misunderstandings in our processes or how decisions are made,” he said.
Like Semmler, Wind also pointed concerned residents to the Office of Client Experience, where they can “express their complaints or concerns around the delivery of health and social services.”
Weyallon Armstrong could not be reached for further comment before print deadline.