Do you always have an RN waste narcotics with you?

[uscstu4lfe]

Of course you know we are all supposed to have another RN watch us waste narcotics, like morphine, dilaudid, etc. Do the nurses at your facility actually follow this policy? At mine, I find that most just sign whatever the other nurse wants and doesn't really pay attention or doesn't even see the waste. When I'm wasting a drug I'll ask a nurse to sign for me... and go to show them the waste, and sometimes they won't even look! I am like Hello!? look at the waste! And they're like "yeah, yeah, yeah" and just sign and go back to charting.

[BertinaRN, ASN, RN]

We have to have another RN or pharmacist witness, but there is no reminder from the computer, it doesn't know what you give so I make sure to have a witness right away so I do not forget, other wise when you go to chart the med given in the computer it will show a discrepancy between the two and pharmacy is notified.

Bertina R.N.

[canuk_chick]

I always get someone to watch, occasionally they'll just sign and walk away, but when I'm watching I always watch.

[vernonleon]

What about in a community setting? I'm a very green RN and witnessed for another nurse who was disposing of meds that one of our clients brought in for disposal. I did not witness the chain of custody; I just happened to be around when the bottles ended up in the medication room. I did witness, and sign off for, the disposal of the meds (it was oxycodone and lorazepam), but I felt very uncomfortable with it afterward. I would not do this again. I do not know what the P&P is for this situation, or if it even exists (in which case it would be a nice project for me).

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

I always make sure the RN who is witnessing is watching me. I always tell them as they are about to walk off and not see me waste that I prefered it if they will watch me. They always stop and watch me they never just walk off