How do you transfer meds to the field?

[Mr. & Mrs. RN]

I remember from my Periop course that's it's not recommended to pour your meds to the sterile field, but that it's better technique to draw the meds up via needle to the field. So why do they make some of the bottles with easy to remove stoppers? How do you transfer your meds to the field?

[SandraCVRN]

Most of the time we do draw up with the needle, but if I forget and pull the tab I'm not throwing it away.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Depends on what it is. Our one type of local has a pull off top, and that's the only way to do it because the stopper is completely covered with metal that doesn't come off separately. For the other local, we have what kind of looks like a double IV spike, one goes in the vial, the other end is used to "pour" the med since these are considered sterile.

[jessrene, LPN]

We draw up meds if possible but if we're not sure if med will be used, or if the cap is configured a certain way, it might get poured onto field on as needed basis.

[Scrubby]

It depends what med it is. Some come in sterile packet that the scrub can use a picker to transfer onto the sterile field. Other mess from a glass vial such as heparin have to be drawn up by the scout nurse and poured onto the sterile field. If it's in a large ampoule the scrub can use a blunt mixing cannula to draw it up from the scout nurse. When scouting I refuse to allow a scrub to draw it up any meds with a sharp needle because I've had a sharps injury that way and don't feel it's a safe method.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I'll admit it, we all pour in my hospital..there's no policy against it. I show the tech the label and exp date, they label the med on the field.I also take care to open the bottle so as not to contaminate. I think I'd be afraid to have some of our techs waving that needle around to draw up the med.

[BridgetJones]

We pour most things where I work, but for stuff that comes in smaller vials (like metheylene blue) we have to draw it up. I usually just draw it up, take the needle off (keeping the end of the syringe sterile, of course), and squirt it into whatever container the scrubbed person has. And I bring along the vial to verify the med and expiration date with them. I don't see what's wrong with pouring as long as you keep the top of the vial sterile as you're taking the rubber stopper off, but I will admit that it is a little tricky to take it off without touching the lip of the vial.