Community Insulin

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Specializes in ED.

How do you guys feel about sharing insulin for all your patients?

What is your hospital's policy? I'm just a student, and it is the unforgiveable sin for us to give insulin that doesn't have the patient's name on it, but the nurses on the floor get irritated when we can't give it for that reason. I know there are a few floors with a bin full of Novolog bottles with God knows who's name on it. It seems like it would be a HIPAA violation as well, no?

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If it's a bottle- what's the problem? In LTC we use stock meds- aspirin, multi-vitamin and so on than any resident who is prescribed it can use out of the same bottle. Same deal with insulin- the needles are in the cart, you draw up at the cart, you administer and then you throw in sharps container. There is no more cross contamination in that than if you had another bottle of insluin stored near it. A pen, of course, is different and you have to make sure you are administering the correct type, but, otherwise, I really don't see the problem.

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Specializes in ED.

out of all the hospitals I have done clinicals at (6 in total) I have never been in one that does not share insulin bottles for all patients...not sure why you would have to...seems like it would be a waste of insulin unless you are giving the bottle to the patient to take home...

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Home Health.

This thread is posted twice. I posted in the other one.....

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