Do you have to count lyrica at your LTC facility?

Specialties Geriatric

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We have to count all of our lyrica at my job every shift. I was curious as to whether this was just something done at my LTC or if there were other facilities that also counted lyrica.

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

Perhaps the other nurse takes the first several doses out of the e-kit.

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Plus, who are you going to hold accountable? I'm sure every time there's been at least half a dozen med nurses on duty during a course of ABX....

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At this facility, we are only allowed to take out one dose period out of the emergency box. The pharmacy comes to this facility frequently 1-3 times a day.

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It's preposterous to count Coumadin and Antibiotics. Why don't you start counting the colace or the digoxin to make sure those are given as well?:no:

LOL @ counting coumadin and antibiotics..........what a waste of time....

YES we count lyrica in my facilty..........

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Unfortunately, I keep finding at least 7-8 extra antibiotic capsules leftover EACH TIME an antibiotic order is d'cd. It's obvious that the patient is not receiving their entire antibiotics as per doctor's orders. I certainly don't have extra time to count antibiotics but if the patient's are not actually receiving their antibiotics then something needs to be done.

you are right....i have seen it at my facility toooo...and if there are that many that remains the patient has NOT been getting the dose.....i guess it might be a good idea to count it with the incoming nurse to make sure it was given

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I also find medication cards that have a different dosage then what is written on the MAR. It looks like some of the nurses aren't checking the MAR's when they give meds. Otherwise, they would have probably noticed that the doctor had changed the dosage on the medications and would have taken the incorrect medication card out of the med cart.

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LOL @ counting coumadin and antibiotics..........what a waste of time....

YES we count lyrica in my facilty..........

OK. So what else do you suggest I do to make sure my patients actually receive their antibiotics?

I'm not kidding. I find medication cards with 7-8 extra antibiotics all the time. What should I do?

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We date and inital all doses of antibiotics given. If there was a dose taken from the e-kit (doesn't happen often, we have a pharmacy on-site), it's noted on the card. That way you know exactly who gave it and when...and who didn't. It just takes less time than counting them every shift.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

yes we count it, (NYS) it is a schedule V controlled substance. And I too have found leftover abx but we don't count them. We do however count Tramadol (Ultram) Why?

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most places have come to this. I think because too much went missing.

yes we count it, (NYS) it is a schedule V controlled substance. And I too have found leftover abx but we don't count them. We do however count Tramadol (Ultram) Why?
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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

It is illegal to make marks on a card of medication. If you don't think the residents are getting their meds, I suggest you speak to the nurse in question or the DON.

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OK. So what else do you suggest I do to make sure my patients actually receive their antibiotics?

I'm not kidding. I find medication cards with 7-8 extra antibiotics all the time. What should I do?

First step has got to be education of staff. It sounds like your problem is staff are signing off that meds are given without actually giving them (otherwise, you would know who was responsible for the missed doses and wouldn't need the qshift counts). That's a major problem, and if it's happening with Abts and coumadin, what's to say it isn't happening with everything?

If you're not seeing improvement, then I'd add in the above suggestion of initialing off each dose with date and time on the med card as well as the MAR.

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