Apples, Roses, Coke and Chilli Sauce
In one of my roleplays today I was playing a woman called Sally. The drugs that Sally was on had been changed. She had previously been on 8 milligrams of Pterodactyl and it had been changed to 10 milligrams of Stegosaurus (all names have been changed to protect the innocent). The change had been made purely because Stegosaurus was cheaper, though the two drugs were supposed to have identical effects.
One of the questions I, in role playing Sally, asked was this:
"But the two drugs can't be the same. If I was on 8 milligrams of Pterodactyl and it's been changed to 10 milligrams of Stegosaurus, then surely Stegasaurus must be a weaker, inferior drug, because I have to take more of it."
This, I knew, was not the case. It's perfectly possible to have two drugs in the same family of drugs which require different dosages to have the same effect- - but it was a perfectly logical point from Sally's point of view and the doctors had a really tricky job explaining it.
One of them had a bold try with something about apple pies made by Asda and Sainsbury's, but she quickly got into deep verbal trouble with it and ground to a halt.
Then it all started getting a bit poetic.
"Look at Coke and Pepsi," said one. "They look the same, they taste the same, and yet the ingredients may be slightly different."
All that this led to was a heated debate over whether Coke and Pepsi taste the same, with fans of both drinks fighting their corner as to which was best. This didn't really help Sally with her drugs.
"How about roses?" said one doctor. "Roses can look and smell very different, but they're still roses."
"Apples," said another, following on from the pie theme. "A Cox's Orange Pippin and a Granny Smith's look and taste quite different but they're both just as good for you, and both contribute to your five-a-day."
It was agreed that this was getting nearer.
A group of male doctors got into a huddle and had an earnest conversation. After a few minutes, they emerged triumphant.
"Chilli Sauce," said one, in tones of great pride. "Some chilli sauce is stronger and you have to use less of it than other chilli sauce. But the result is still the same."
So there we have it. Drug doses explained with clarity. It seems like a trivial point - and they did have fun trying to come up with examples - but explaining things clearly is crucial for doctors, of course. And it was encouraging that these doctors were prepared to keep trying until they found a way that worked.
One of the questions I, in role playing Sally, asked was this:
"But the two drugs can't be the same. If I was on 8 milligrams of Pterodactyl and it's been changed to 10 milligrams of Stegosaurus, then surely Stegasaurus must be a weaker, inferior drug, because I have to take more of it."
This, I knew, was not the case. It's perfectly possible to have two drugs in the same family of drugs which require different dosages to have the same effect- - but it was a perfectly logical point from Sally's point of view and the doctors had a really tricky job explaining it.
One of them had a bold try with something about apple pies made by Asda and Sainsbury's, but she quickly got into deep verbal trouble with it and ground to a halt.
Then it all started getting a bit poetic.
"Look at Coke and Pepsi," said one. "They look the same, they taste the same, and yet the ingredients may be slightly different."
All that this led to was a heated debate over whether Coke and Pepsi taste the same, with fans of both drinks fighting their corner as to which was best. This didn't really help Sally with her drugs.
"How about roses?" said one doctor. "Roses can look and smell very different, but they're still roses."
"Apples," said another, following on from the pie theme. "A Cox's Orange Pippin and a Granny Smith's look and taste quite different but they're both just as good for you, and both contribute to your five-a-day."
It was agreed that this was getting nearer.
A group of male doctors got into a huddle and had an earnest conversation. After a few minutes, they emerged triumphant.
"Chilli Sauce," said one, in tones of great pride. "Some chilli sauce is stronger and you have to use less of it than other chilli sauce. But the result is still the same."
So there we have it. Drug doses explained with clarity. It seems like a trivial point - and they did have fun trying to come up with examples - but explaining things clearly is crucial for doctors, of course. And it was encouraging that these doctors were prepared to keep trying until they found a way that worked.
posted by Daphne at 7:16 pm
4 Comments:
So Sally was right. Except that the Stegosaurus is not inferior but yes it is weaker - like chilli sauce, may taste as good but if it's not as strong you need more to get the same hot effect (if that's what you are trying to achieve). So in fact the stegosaurus is better than pterodactyl because it offers more flexibility for people who need lower doses to achieve the desired effect. What about brontosaurus? I think you might need a lot of that.... but you probably just have to sniff velociraptor to be practically cured. Okay, I'll stop now.
"Stegosaurus is definitely better than pterodactyl." --Tyrannosaurus Rex
"Brontosaurus is too tough; has to be smoked." --Tyrannosaurus Rex
I like toast.
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