Dilaudid shortage - anyone else seeing it?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ER.

We got a memo from our pharmacy last week about a worldwide Dilaudid shortage and the effect it is having on our hospital. Apparently there's a problem with the manufacturing of the carpujects. I can't find a whole lot online about this yet. Is anyone else seeing this in your facility yet?

When I left my ED last night we had 8 1mg Dilaudid's and 12 2mg left in our pyxis. The rest of our facility's almost out, too apparently. They were able to order 2mg ampules, but they don't know when the shipment will come in because I guess these are going fast now. We've already had to deal with patient's coming to the ED for pain control issues when they couldn't fill their oxycodone, and now this? My departments choices are going to be Morphine and maybe Fentanyl I guess - we don't have Demerol anymore.

Just wondering if this is effecting anyone else out there yet?

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Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

O_O I have not seen or heard of this.

Aw man if that were happen I think the floor we are on would go insane.

We are Dilaudid friendly!

A day without dilaudid is like a day without sunshine.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ER.

I'm trying to imagine what my next shift's going to be like - maybe we'll hang out the "No Dilaudid" and see what happens!

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Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.

We are also experiencing the Dilaudid carpuject shortage at several facilities where I work here in Sunny California.

We have the Dialudid in ampules that are available for the time being.

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We also have switched to the ampules ourselves. Didn't know it was related to a shortage.

Man, the S would HTF if we ran out of Dilaudid at our unit! I wouldn't even want to be there on that day.

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Specializes in ICU, M/S,Nurse Supervisor, CNS.

Our pharmacy recently put out notices that we are out of the 1 mg carpujets, but still have the 2 mg carpujets and ampules. They did mention there being a shortage also.

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Specializes in Med-surg.

Yes! We use them a lot on our floor and pharmacy will only bring up a couple at a time, so we are constantly calling for more. Really makes me wish we could be choosier about who we give it to!

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

Yes, I saw the email from pharmacy this week. We're out of 1ml cartridges and have a limited supply of 2mls. :(

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

We use dilaudid constantly on my floor for our sickle cell and post-op patients. I don't know what we would do without it. I have heard nothing about a Dilaudid shortage at my facility.

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We've also been notified of a dilaudid 2mg shortage at the hospital I work at. But I haven't seen our supply decreasing yet. I work on a post-surgical unit and we use a ton of dilaudid. We always have about 30-40 of the 2mg carpujects available. I have yet to see 1mg ampules or carpujects.

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Specializes in SICU, EMS, Home Health, School Nursing.

We also are having a shortage of the dilaudid carpujects here in Ohio. We constantly have the ampules showing up in our accudose. I am thankful that we have the ampules!!

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This happened last summer where I worked at. They were out of the 1 mg carpujects. We had to waste the 2 mg and use it like that. It was a manufacturing thing. It didn't last but a week or two and then they were available. They said the company didn't like to make the 1 mg as much (whatever that meant) and preferred to make the 2 mg. I asked if the patient was going to be charged for the waste but they said no. I hardly believe that. We had barcodes and they were charged for a 2 and then in the electronic mar system I had to have a signature of a 1 mg. or 1/2 mg waste what a pain in the but. I am sure they will be manufacturing them and getting caught back up soon. This was last summer and now it's been six months from that time. You will never see dilaudid go bye bye.

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