borrowing meds

[mom4life]

Hi,

I work in a LTC facility on the 3-11 shift. Many times the MD will write an order for a patient and the day nurse will write the med to start that eve without confirming whether or not the pharmacy will be able to deliver the meds that eve. Most times the med have not been delivered by the start time and the night nurse and the NS insist that I borrow med from patient taking the same med. I do not feel comfortable with this. they do not want us to write med not available. Please tell me what are my options? What happens to the 5 rights for giving meds( right patient) when I borrow?

[MsKiesha]

Sorry, I wasn't clear CapeCodMermaid. I was referring to the right to have adequate and appropriate care> Also

When Peter runs out they go back to Paul.

[c_beshore_rn]

I know one thing.....If this pt/res is a medicare or medicaid pt and you are "borrowing" medication from him for another patient-your entire facility could be in a world of terror. "Borrowing" is not a state approved practice to my understanding-infact it falls under misappropriation of patient property.....dispensing medications.....distrubuting narcotics..... medicare/medicaid fraud...etc. If that drug is labeled by rx for one patient and u pop it out n give it to another (even if they have an order) you could be in deep doo doo. If you have a policy in place at your institution that covers this and actually states " IF A MEDICATION IS UNAVAILABLE FROM PHARMACY IT MAY BE NECCESSARY TO USE ANOTHER RESIDENTS MEDICATIONS PLEASE FILL OUT such n such form or blah blah blah, u may have more coverage but unless my employer produced such a policy- I'd tell them to take a leap and if they fire you for writting "not available from pharmacy at this time" then I'd have a legal Hayday with them...