IV meds. burdernsome

cindyln · Dec 16, 2002

where was your pharmicist and why did he not mix the med?

deespoohbear · Dec 16, 2002

Originally posted by cindyln
where was your pharmicist and why did he not mix the med?

Ditto. I call pharmacy. Our pharmacy is only there until 7pm during the week and 3pm on the weekends. I will call one of the pharmacists at home if I need too. They get paid BIG bucks to figure this stuff out...

ohbet · Dec 16, 2002

cindyln,and others who replied,I re-read my initial post,Ive embellished and exacerated,Id like to re post

cindyln · Dec 16, 2002

Originally posted by ohbet
cindyln,the pharmacist doesnt mix our meds,the nurses do. The only pre-mixed we have is when we have to use potassium,and that is pre-mixed by the company,not the pharmacists.

Is your hospital jcaho accredited?? They would have big heartburn with this.

ohbet · Dec 16, 2002

dees,you call the pharmacists at home? Doesnt he tell you to read the IV drug book?

cindyln,we are not jcaho accredited.

Agnus · Dec 16, 2002

I would file a formal objection. Mixing meds for the most part is a pharmasist duty. WHAT THE H is that pharmasist doing all day? This is a violation of safe practice. Nurses should not routinely mix drugs period.

There are time during after duty hours when I do mix. I make sure I have looked up everything pertinent to that drug and everthing pertinent to mixing it before I do. I will even put in a call the pharmacy. ANd if I do not feel comfortable I will ask the pharmasist to come in and do it. (If pharmacy ever refused then I would get insistant and I would file an incident report)

You asked in your previous thread about drawing off fluid because the bag of fluid was too big. This is a question for the pharmasist not a nursing question.

The day you make an error it will be on you not the pharmasist. Please, hold the pharmasist responsible for his or her duties and his field of practice now. After the fact is too late. If you can get no where get out of that facility FAST.

If you are having a nurse double check you. (AN EXCELLENT PRACTICE) And you think she is not really checking get her to sign that patient's chart that she checked and concures. If time is short for her you write it in the patient chart and just have her co sign.

If she refuses you should not give the drug.

Mixing and checking properly does take a lot of time. I would not risk a patient's safty for time and I hear that you would not either. However, your facility does not feel that way because they will put the full burden when it happens on YOU.

THis is a VERY unsafe enviorment for you to be in. You are at risk.

sunnygirl272 · Dec 16, 2002

^5 agnus!!!!!

woot!!!

right on the $$$$!!!!!!!

rebelwaclause, ASN, RN · Dec 16, 2002

:confused:

What happened to the thread topic?

RN2B2005 · Dec 16, 2002

Ditto what Rebel said...where's the thread topic? Also, where in the cripes is ohbet practising that her hospital isn't JCAHO accredited? I thought hospitals had to be JCAHO accredited to pass muster with most insurance payors?

Ohbet, whatever is going on, seriously, CYA!! Document, document, document ("pharmacy sent meds up unmixed, called to request mixed meds, pharmacy refused"). I'm just a student but this sounds bad even to me.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Dec 17, 2002

Nurses are qualified to mix meds, they are spared that duty if there is a pharmacist, but at some hospitals pharmacy is only open 8h/day mon-fri. It's great if you can have someone do it, but too bad that nurses don't consider themselves able to do it independently.

I am from an era of pharmacy not mixing any meds except TPN, we had stock of the commonly prescribed antibiotics or IV meds. I see alot of what used to be nursing skills taken over by other depts so that they can minimize nurse /pt ratios on the floor. But we are still responsible...whatever happened to not giving a med that you hadn't poured or mixed yourself?

renerian, BSN, RN · Dec 17, 2002

Where did the original post go????

renerian