Meds Tampering - Possibly

[Meg888]

Hi all. My brother thinks his partner has been taking his sons medication. His son is 14 and has ADHD for which he takes a prescribed, quite strong med for daily. His partner had a drug problem years back and has issues with alcohol, she's been trying to get a grip of it for years, but often relapses. He's suspected her doing this a few times over the years, but the latest is a new low. It would seem the tablets have been replaced by some other tablet form, which he doesn't know but suspects they could be paracetamol. The tablet form is similar to his sons meds, so it's quite a deliberate attempt at trying to conceal. I've told him he should report to police, because she has always denied in the past when he's asked her about it (she's not the child's mother). This medication is not standard, it has a street value and questions will be asked by doctors when he re-orders prescription so soon. he's frightened to report for fear of getting her into trouble/relationship ending, but she is the only logical suspect and no-one else has been around his house last few weeks, it's been just the 3 of them. He keeps fobbing me off saying the police wouldn't bother with it, but I'm certain they would - surely this is very serious, especially as no-one knows what the replacement tablets are?

[woofgang]

Son comes before partner every time. He should go back to the docs with son and all meds, including the fakes ASAP. He KNOWS that this will all come out at repeat prescription time so why delay? Personally whatever my own feelings I wouldn't have a relapsing addict (alcohol abuse is also an addiction) in the house with a child. Harsh I know but a parent's very first duty is to their child.

[RATTER15]

As Woof said!!

[Hypognosis]

I am curious as to why specialist medication is moulded in exactly the same colour and shape as ordinary paracetamol and has no imprinted lettering.

Also, to be able to mix in phoney tablets, you're talking about loose tablets in a bottle and not something in blister packs, yes?

[Meg888]

It's not moulded exactly the same, this is why it's been spotted. The boy's tablets has black lettering on them and is slightly larger. The replacement has no lettering so unable to tell exactly what it is, and it is slightly smaller and slightly different shape. He handed it to his son, it was his son who spotted it was not his tablet. When he emptied out the pack, he realised they've all been replaced. And yes, loose tablets not blister packs.

[Marijn]

Don't they need to know ASAP what the son has been taking in error? Isn't it a matter of urgency? He may have been taking the wrong tablet for a while befrore he noticed it was a different tablet.

[wolf63]

Take them to the pharmacy - they will be able to identify the tablet. Sometimes when I get a new batch of a certain medication it is from a different company/manufacturer and looks different from previous tablets.

[Meg888]

Good idea Wolf. The boy has been away with school so thankfully he hasn't been taking them, it was only on his return home that it was noticed - the lad is quite beady eyed, so we're certain he would have noticed if he was given the wrong meds prior to going away, he had to take them with him for school trip and teachers were handing out, it's certainly not something that would have slipped either eye for a period of time.

[Hopkirk]

I would challenge her in the hope she DID leave.

[bednobs]

What The Funicular?
your brother is an idiot. He suspects that someone has been giving his 14 year old son medication that is not prescribed to him. This is a child we are talking about - A CHILD! If true, this is child abuse, and is incredibly serious, and could in fact be fatal to HIS SON. And he doesn't want to rock the boat with his relationship or get her into trouble?????
Quite frankly i am flabbergasted and can't believe what i'm reading!

[Meg888]

She definitely won't leave willingly, and she'd definitely deny. I know, misplaced loyalties and all that.....

[jno]

find out what the pills are, just so he's not making some terrible mistake. Can he keep them under lock and key somewhere, or can his son?

But obviously the real answer is to get rid of someone who's behaving like the ugly stepmother in a story trying to harm her partner's children.

[Mamyalynne]

This needs sorting and sorting today, by even suspecting her and not acting it is akin to aiding and abetting.

The child is the priority.

I am astonished how often I am reading on here of medications in old style bottles, I thought they were almost a thing of the past.

[Marijn]

How can you know for sure that he spotted the first rogue tablet, on the very first occasion it was given to him? I agree with Bednobs.

[woofgang]

Meg, If the partner is allowed to remain, social services would DEFFO be concerned as this is a child at risk scenario. Does your bro want to lose his son?

[Meg888]

They have been kept hidden previously, but as things got better, trust was gained, but sadly not to be. No one can know for sure, but he is absolutely positive this has happened while his son has been away, as I stated earlier, his son is the type that would spot this for certain. I’m sure none of this has happened with intent to harm the boy; it’s just an addict’s foolish attempt to deceive without any thought of the consequences. I’ve made my feelings and opinion very clear, and I will be passing on the responses from here – thanks for the replies, I hope it will help strengthen the case against her. He said he is going to confront her tonight, and tell her he’s informing the doctor and police, in the hope that she’ll just walk, and if she doesn’t he’s promised to see it through. So we will see what happens. His boy came back yesterday from trip, so has not had any of the rogue meds thankfully.

[woofgang]

Meg I hope it goes to plan, i really do.....

[Meg888]

Me too....

[bednobs]

"I’m sure none of this has happened with intent to harm the boy;"
cold comfort when your nephew is dead from whatever drugs he's been taking!

[Canary42]

I totally agree with bednobs who has said it all - why continue to procrastinate ?

ACT NOW

[SeaJayPea]

Meds Tampering - Possibly

Get it checked. Before all this suspicion destroys the relationship, take the pills to the pharmacist and ask the question "Are these the same as these?". Then be guided by the professional advice you'll almost certainly be given. This could just possibly be two different sources of the same drug and nobody's guilty of anything. Five minutes with the chemist would sort it once and for all.