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?
That's what kills me - the wasting of perfectly good medication and the nurses' time to document witnessing it.
Surely, this borders on sin when so many people are in so much pain. Damn those addicts, damn the FDA, damn whoever is responsible for initiating control over what we now know as controlled substances. Used to all be OTC - morphine, everything, OTC.
That's what kills me - the wasting of perfectly good medication and the nurses' time to document witnessing it.
Surely, this borders on sin when so many people are in so much pain. Damn those addicts, damn the FDA, damn whoever is responsible for initiating control over what we now know as controlled substances. Used to all be OTC - morphine, everything, OTC.
That's right!!
It's like a stupid conspiracy or something of the like. The doc's write the order for 1mg of Dilaudid, but all that is available is the 2mg vials/carpujects. Just peeves me off to no extreme.
In any given night, I am most likely squirting half of an ordered med into a waste receptacle. How much does a carpuject of med cost? Who's eating the cost? The patient's insurance (or the patient per private pay?), the facility? Do they use that to write off corporate taxes? When does THAT cost start eating into the ol' bottom line?
i believe my hospital plays a big role in this "dilaudid shortage". we have happy hour...2 for 1 on all dilaudid from 7p-7a..7 days a week.:cheers: we go through so much dilaudid, we keep it in a gallon jug with a pump handle in our pyxis room.:chuckle
Haven't seen any problems in my unit and we use a ton of it (PACU). All of our Dilaudid carpujets are 2mg but we also have 50cc syringes for PCAs. I just wish we stocked methadone so I wouldn't have to use 6mg or more of Dilaudid to try to get on top of post op pain in our addict population.
I have heard nothing about a dilaudid shortage. We don't really use it all that much. We perfer fentanyl since it wears off faster (neuro ICU). We have both the one mg and two mg carpujects.
Specializes in Emergency, Nursing Management, Auditing.
yup, we're out of 1mg syringes, according to pharmacy they're on backorder... so now we have to use the 2mg ones and then waste a milligram a time. what a waste, so to speak! lol
Dilaudid was re-stocked last week-we ran out of carpujets about 4 weeks ago, then to vials, then to morphine-I was told by pharmacy it was a country-wide shortage. Something with the manufacturers.
Anyway we have carpujets back YEAH! Several people needed sutures due to cuts from ampules....AMPULES who uses those any more? Ugh! I know I am spoiled. :wink2:
.thumb.jpg.755b83f43c9f3860c778e2fcb2022ecb.jpg){kind=small}
Vito Andolini
1,451 Posts
That's what kills me - the wasting of perfectly good medication and the nurses' time to document witnessing it.
Surely, this borders on sin when so many people are in so much pain. Damn those addicts, damn the FDA, damn whoever is responsible for initiating control over what we now know as controlled substances. Used to all be OTC - morphine, everything, OTC.