Am I expected to give medicine from unlabeled home cassettes??!!

[lashuna1028]

Ok, for the nurses working in long term care and assisted living facilities you may have run across this issue. We have a respite client admitted from home that will be staying with us for a few days. I have orders from MD in the chart for his meds but the family brings all of his meds already prefilled in those home cassettees (you know the ones with the days of the week on them) UNLABELED. No prescription pill bottles or even OTC bottles for that matter...just these cassettes...And whats even more surprising is the director of nursing here, RN BSN knows about this and these pills were actually written on the MAR for us to give. The morning nurse has been giving them and has been signing them out on the MAR but I am the only one that seems to have a problem with this. I am NOT giving these pills to this man and I am going to sign them as NOT given! I dont know what they are and even if I could identify some of the pills I still dont know if they are contaminated or expired! I need input from other nurses regarding this. I would like backup on my decision and even where I could find where it talks about this somewhere in Nursing Practice Act as a resource. Thanks

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

We are taught to never give meds that another nurse pulled and signed for. I don't see how this would be any different legally. You didn't pull them...... however your NM or DON might not think your high ethical stand is productive to his/her standard of care however low it may be. Good luck

Because legally, you can give home medications...you cannot require that they purchase them from the hospital when they have already been paid for previously, the only difference in them being admitted.

We log it in our medication administration system as "home med" and the person that administered it is "self".

[VicksburgNurse]

Because legally, you can give home medications...you cannot require that they purchase them from the hospital when they have already been paid for previously, the only difference in them being admitted.

We log it in our medication administration system as "home med" and the person that administered it is "self".

My Hospital does not allow for admin of home medication, so I guess that takes care of the whole issue for me.

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

My Hospital does not allow for admin of home medication, so I guess that takes care of the whole issue for me.

Well obviously, it does. However, it does cause an undo financial hardship, especially on the self-paying patients, when they come in with a bag of prescription medications that have already been paid for, yet are being told that they have to pay for them again.

Honestly, if I was that patient, I would continue on my regimine (unless there was a medical reason why I couldn't) and refuse to take the meds that the hospital gave me...if I had to pay for it myself...which they absolutely can do.

[VicksburgNurse]

seriously I didn't mean to upset you so badly. Please forgive me

[BabyLady, BSN, RN]

seriously I didn't mean to upset you so badly. Please forgive me

I'm sorry (seriously)....that comment was directed at the situation and your facility, not you personally. I know you have no choice but to follow the rules of your facility.