I'm so glad I'm a pharmacist...

I finally got to clerk another patient today; a fisherman with a cervical radiculopathy. Clinic closed really early today on account off all the villages being cut off by the torrential rain we had last night, but Andy the driver at the last minute brought back his daughter with her infected insect bites back for another look see as her chest had got bad and they hadn't managed to get the antibiotics at PG hospital either so nothing had got better and had infact got worse. Now she had coarse crackles thoughout her chest and a fever....the nebuliser than we eventually find doesn't work despite us having located all the tubing and even the drugs and dilutant (which took nearly 15 minutes) so I raid the dispensary. Despite being a card carrying asthmatic she doesn't have an inhaler - so I get one of those and miracles upon miracles find a infant spacer (rare in UK let alone Belize) and some Augmentin syrup to replace the Cephalexin Dr John had wanted and we were all done and taught how to use everything. I hate this having to send sick patients 5 miles into town for drugs we don't have and that even PG may not have for them to bounce back here the next Day no better. We need a full time pharmacist who can advise on available alternatives rather than just a tech good though she is. Failing that a phone connection to Pg to at least check for stock before we send them. Still, this ones sorted at least.

Early finish so we all pack up to head for the swimming pool at Coral Inn BUT IT'S SHUT!! And we're all so sweaty and needy but no go so it's off to the sea to play in Jeff's new inflatable kayak - great fun and super warm water, if a little greasy.... Girls all get pretty for our night out at Earth runnings a haven of architectural charm and funky chairs in an otherwise charmless town...the proprietor is an architect, a singer, a singer and a Rasta with a beautiful voice. Rum and pineapple....happy now....