Cost of medication as an inpatient is SHOCKING!!!

Nurses General Nursing

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I had a patient who wanted something for her headache. I offered her the Tylenol the doctor had ordered for her to take on a prn schedule. She told me she was hospitalized many times before, and was charged $25.00 per Tylenol tablet! :eek: She refused, and said she'd keep her headache before she paid that much again for a Tylenol!

Can we blame our patients for turning down meds that they know are so expensive in the first place?

What is happening in healthcare is atrocious to say the least!

I can buy several bottles of Tylenol for that price! :(

Flowerchild you are doing it. Unfortunately there is no quick fix to the condition nursing is in. It did not get this way overnight and it will take time to fix it. It also will require that a majority of nurses are active in pursuing the solutions we need.

Be an example and don't give up.

Specializes in Med/Surg, ER, L&D, ICU, OR, Educator.
Originally posted by ainz

Separate out nursing and bill nursing care on a fee-for-service basis, just like the doctors get paid. Now that is a step toward professionalism. It also takes away the power the hospital has over nurses.

Don't you see, this way nurses are not an expense to the hospital, they are necessary and cost the hospital nothing!!!

:cool: Wow, ainz, I love the way you think!

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Back in 1992 i read about a former pt. of a Columbus Ohio hospital that sued the hospital for charging 24 dollars for each dose of Tylenol that he'd receive, and he'd received a total of 15 doses. The was a man that was well-off and had the means to sue but needless to say he didn't win and nothing got changed :(

aniz You have been in health care a long time I think? I would also guess you have been in many positions? You have a good understanding of the internal workings of many institutions these days. As nurses, the more we know about these things, the better prepared we are to make good choices for our patients.

Originally posted by ainz

I work for a for-profit company, never heard of increasing operating costs for a tax break, the tax savings does not make up for the increases in cost.

Ainz, my venture into management was short lived, but sounds like you have been in the game longer.

Can you explain to me why facilities would keep bringing in contract agency ..paying the agency $50 or more hourly...and yet not want to pay a competetive FT wage to staff? Three of my pool compadres would like to go fulltime but the ICU manager refuses to pay them more than $25 hr...(these are high quality, experienced ICU charge type nurses, who granted are asking for a few bucks more than some staff make, but are worth it IMO)

I can't understand how this makes fiscal sense. A former supervisor told me agency and contracts come out of a different $ pocket/different budget with tax advantages....perhaps there are other specific reasons I'm unaware of that might play into such decisions. I tend to think $$$ issues 1st...LOL!

Can you enlighten please as to my manager's possible reasoning here? Hope my question is not too general... thanks! :cool:

Specializes in Cardiac/Vascular & Healing Touch.

I am sooooo there with you honey! most of my shift now is contract people so I am the low paid full time charge nurse with more experience than the 3 of them....it is sooo frustrating. I can't even get a whole dollar an hour when I get a raise. a few cents here & there. It just rattles me. I dont' get it...... :(

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