ativan storage

Nurses Medications

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Just wondering how others are storing and accessing IV ativan. we have reintroduced it into our refrigerated pyxis but we need to get a key out of the general pyxis to access the locked area of the refrigerated pyxis

MrChicagoRN, RN

2,597 Posts

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

You should be able to install a trigger lock on the med fridge that is connected to the pyxis and is triggered to unlock when you enter the med to dispense it

Loo17

327 Posts

Our IV Ativan is not refrigerated. Its in the regular pyxis.

psu_213, BSN, RN

3,878 Posts

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Our IV Ativan is not refrigerated. Its in the regular pyxis.

Ditto :)

loriangel14, RN

6,931 Posts

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Ditto ditto

Why would they put it in the fridge?

skyler20

12 Posts

Ditto ditto

Why would they put it in the fridge?

Ativan is only good for 14 days out of the refrigerator. (Or that's how it was when I worked in pharmacy)

psu_213, BSN, RN

3,878 Posts

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Ativan is only good for 14 days out of the refrigerator. (Or that's how it was when I worked in pharmacy)

I don't know where the OP works, but that would never be an issue in our ED.

My previous facility stored it in the fridge (which had a trigger lock hooked up to the PYXIS) and then a year before I resigned they started keeping it in the PYXIS. I asked about this and they said they just have to check the exp date when the tech does their checks, Ativan can live outside refridgeration for 30 days. It is such a pain in the butt to suck that thick cold GEL out of the refrigerated Ativan I was glad to have the room temperature variety.

KelRN215, BSN, RN

1 Article; 7,349 Posts

Specializes in Pedi.
Ativan is only good for 14 days out of the refrigerator. (Or that's how it was when I worked in pharmacy)

Haha our ativan drawer was restocked like q 2-3 days when I worked in the hospital, that never would have been an issue. We kept ativan in the regular pyxis. We didn't even have any locked drawers in the fridge.

NobleLeo

12 Posts

This is so funny. Our Ativan was always in a locked drawer in the refrigerated which was such a pain. My friend even forgot to put the key back into the locked Pyxis drawer which was even funnier to get back in since it was a 1x dose but I digress. When they exchanged our old Pyxis for a new one suddenly the Ativan was no longer in the fridge. We always assumed it was because pharmacy was tired of the hassle of getting to it in the fridge.

We have to get the key out of the regular Omnicell, punch in a code on the refrigerator, unlock a drawer, count the vials, lock the drawer, put the count into the omincell, replace the key. It's a hassle. And then there was the day, I put the vial in the key drawer instead...:facepalm:

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