Different med

Specialties Emergency

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Specializes in Peds ED, Peds Stem Cell Transplant, Peds.

Last night I got in the pyxis and pulled out predisolone, it was a different color then what I have ever seen before. It was pink instead of clear. So I asked the other nurses if this was new, if they ever saw pink orapred before? No one had seen this, so I called the pharmacy and asked them, the tech and the pharmacist denied seeing it either. They insisted the other pharmacy tech pull all of it so it could be investigated. So the other pharmacy tech reassured me it was just a different brand. I acknowledge she may be right, but since none of the other nurses knew about the change and the pharmacist didn't know about it, I felt uncomfortable giving it until it was clarified. This tech kept being confrontational on the subject and mad at me because I refused to give it, I insisted it still needed to be pulled since pharmacy didn't know about it. The charge nurse was there, and did nothing, but I was trying to be an advocate for the patients and told the tech that pharmacy still wanted it pulled. Now this tech complained to the charge nurse and is going to email my manager because of my tone. The charge nurse doesn't like me anyway, so i don't have her to back me up.

My question would you give something that looked unfamiliar without anyone else, including the pharmacist on duty, not knowing for sure about the change and all you have is a pharmacy tech to vouch for it?

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
My question would you give something that looked unfamiliar without anyone else, including the pharmacist on duty, not knowing for sure about the change and all you have is a pharmacy tech to vouch for it?

Kidrn911, you did the exact right thing. Just because the charge nurse doesn't like you for whatever reason she does not sign your paycheck. Email your nurse manager and ask for a brief meeting. You were absolutely correct!!! Remember the opinion of the pharmacist outweighs the opinion of the pharmacy tech. Sounds like this tech needs some counseling. Wouldn't hurt to mention that also.

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Specializes in Peds ED, Peds Stem Cell Transplant, Peds.
Kidrn911, you did the exact right thing. Just because the charge nurse doesn't like you for whatever reason she does not sign your paycheck. Email your nurse manager and ask for a brief meeting. You were absolutely correct!!! Remember the opinion of the pharmacist outweighs the opinion of the pharmacy tech. Sounds like this tech needs some counseling. Wouldn't hurt to mention that also.

I did email my manager as soon as it happened. I will find out this week if it was an issue. What I am concerned with more is the tone thing. The tech was refusing to take the medicine out of the pysix, and I was telling her what the pharmacist had said. Now it makes it sound like I am being a big bully:madface:

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Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.
I did email my manager as soon as it happened. I will find out this week if it was an issue. What I am concerned with more is the tone thing. The tech was refusing to take the medicine out of the pysix, and I was telling her what the pharmacist had said. Now it makes it sound like I am being a big bully:madface:

Bully? No, you only requested that she do as she was asked by her superior (the pharmacist) and she refused. You don't have time to stand around and argue with an unlicensed person whether or not you should be dispensing a particular medication. You felt uncomfortable, you investigated, she refused her assigned task. As long as you weren't yelling at this tech I don't see how you can be accused of being a big bully. Stick to your guns girl. Please let us know how it turns out.

I was a charge nurse for years and I think she acted irresponsibly by not speaking up. I would have in a heartbeat.

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

your not being a bully .. your looking out for your patients.... the pharmacy needs to know what they are putting in the pixus... they oughta be grateful you asked and just didn't accept and give your patient some strange drug.. good job

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.
your not being a bully .. your looking out for your patients.... the pharmacy needs to know what they are putting in the pixus... they oughta be grateful you asked and just didn't accept and give your patient some strange drug.. good job

:yeahthat:

You did exactly right. The tech was in the wrong, not you.

Pharmacists and pharmacy techs are just as prone to mistakes as nurses are. They can mislabel things, put them into the wrong place, etc.

Stick to your guns.

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Specializes in LTC , SDC and MDS certified (3.0).

:yelclap: Good for you,I would have done the same thing. nurses are our patients last defense!!!!!!

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Last night I got in the pyxis and pulled out predisolone, it was a different color then what I have ever seen before. It was pink instead of clear. So I asked the other nurses if this was new, if they ever saw pink orapred before? No one had seen this, so I called the pharmacy and asked them, the tech and the pharmacist denied seeing it either. They insisted the other pharmacy tech pull all of it so it could be investigated. So the other pharmacy tech reassured me it was just a different brand. I acknowledge she may be right, but since none of the other nurses knew about the change and the pharmacist didn't know about it, I felt uncomfortable giving it until it was clarified. This tech kept being confrontational on the subject and mad at me because I refused to give it, I insisted it still needed to be pulled since pharmacy didn't know about it. The charge nurse was there, and did nothing, but I was trying to be an advocate for the patients and told the tech that pharmacy still wanted it pulled. Now this tech complained to the charge nurse and is going to email my manager because of my tone. The charge nurse doesn't like me anyway, so i don't have her to back me up.

My question would you give something that looked unfamiliar without anyone else, including the pharmacist on duty, not knowing for sure about the change and all you have is a pharmacy tech to vouch for it?

It's probably just new, but ya never know. My son was prescribed prednisolone (orapred) and it's light pink and translucent. I got it from Wallgreens in California.

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