What do people think of a student on a summer placement messing around with an insulin pen that had been returned was intended for disposal, breaking it, and jabbing his thumb with the needle? He not only failed to inform the phamacy manager straight away but told the area manager that the store manager had told him to 'just put a plaster on it' which he hadn't.
When I heard this story from somebody who'd witnessed the entire thing I couldn't believe how anybody could be that stupid. I don't yet work in a pharmacy, I hold no relevant qualifications apart from first aid...which isn't even one that's nationally recognised, but I know that you don't f*** around with used needles.
How on earth can somebody who has presumably got at least one year of a Pharmacy degree under his belt act that way?
He went to hospital and got all the tests and innoculations he needed...don't know as yet if there are going to be any serious medical consequences. The pharmacy manager didn't want him back for his final week of placement, not that I can blame him. People higher up the company foodchain had to be informed, obviously, and calls had to be made to the area manager, head office and the company MD, needless to say that was stress nobody needed.
First year students really don't know very much of anything. From what I remember it's really all just background science at that stage. Things like "put needles straight into the buckets" and "don't even go looking through the bag to pick them out you idiot", you don't learn those till pre-reg.
Clearly, this fella also lacked a dose of the old common sense. But youth and inexperience combined, he might have been scared of getting into trouble for messing about with the needles? I can see how the more serious consequences maybe wouldn't occur to you if you weren't used to dealing with that kind of stuff.
Give the daft bugger a break. Commonsense is not even the prerogative of experienced pharmacists. Risks to him are minimal but he, and those around him will never forget this incident.
Stupid Students
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