Do you count tramadol?

[GLORIAmunchkin72]

Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't and I can't seem to make sense of it. Right now we're counting it but who knows for how long...

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Right now we're counting it but who knows for how long...

Tramadol was deemed a controlled substance by the DEA as of July 2014, so you and your coworkers should be counting it at the conclusion of every shift from this point forward. Cover your behinds to ensure you and your coworkers remain in compliance with the DEA's stringent record keeping rules and regulations.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

• Tramadol is a synthetic, centrally acting analgesic binding to the mu opioid receptor as well as inhibiting reuptake of serotonin, and preventing the reuptake of norepinephrine.
  
• The Drug Enforcement Administration has officially scheduled tramadol as a Schedule IV substance within the U.S. under the Controlled Substance Act, which will be effective as of Aug. 18 of this year.
  

Now What? DEA Tosses Tramadol in Schedule IV

[GLORIAmunchkin72]

Thanks for the quick and helpful responses!

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't and I can't seem to make sense of it. Right now we're counting it but who knows for how long...[/QUOTe)

We dont count ic its in the patient name we do count if its ward stock. Tramodol is pain.

[MunoRN, RN]

Tramadol was deemed a controlled substance by the DEA as of July 2014, so you and your coworkers should be counting it at the conclusion of every shift from this point forward. Cover your behinds to ensure you and your coworkers remain in compliance with the DEA's stringent record keeping rules and regulations.

Counting at the end of every shift isn't actually required in every state. The DEA requires that every facility/provider have a procedure in place for ensuring the security of controlled substances, but doesn't actually require q shift counting. Many state health departments require q shift counting but not all. My facility used to count q shift but we haven't done a routine shift count in years.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Counting at the end of every shift isn't actually required in every state. The DEA requires that every facility/provider have a procedure in place for ensuring the security of controlled substances, but doesn't actually require q shift counting.

Perhaps I am getting DEA regulations confused with individual policies and procedures.

At my workplace, any narcotic that has been accessed via the Pyxis at any time during that shift will prompt a count of that drug at the end of the shift. We must count all controlled substances that had been accessed at any point during the previous 12 hours.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

My hospital Pyxis system requires is to enter a beginning count of every narcotic accessed. If the count is incorrect, we have to notify the charge nurse to reconcile the discrepancy immediately. Additionally, a two-nurse count of all the narcs are done weekly.

Now, the LTACH hospital that I work for has a different set-up. In addition to the above technique involving narcotics, in LTACH, we count EVERYTHING that the bigwigs think somebody wants: popular antibiotics that treat UTIs, popular antihypertensive drugs, Pepcid and protonix, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and metformin.

I actually believe they have based this population of drugs on the most common health conditions of its nurses. One would conclude that management doesn't really trust its nurses:down:. No one is allowed to clock out until the announcement overhead (Narcotic and Drug Count Cleared) is heard. This is done prior to the end of EVERY 12-hour shift. I'm fortunate enough to not have any health conditions. But I do bring my own stash of extra-strength Excedrin because the whole process is a pain in the *bleep*.

[aortas]

Our pharmacy sent my facility a memo about tramadol like others have pointed out, which went into effect already, however for some reason we aren't counting the tramadol yet in with the other narcs. However this may be due to facility policy not having gone in effect but I can't say for sure. The memo did say the providers would have to provide new scripts for tramadol but I'm yet to see any

[jsatty070890]

I am sorry for my ignorance, why should we count tramadol? Narcotics yes we count at every shift but why tramadol?

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Both facilities I have worked at require Tramadol to be counted.

[shakoi]

I am sorry for my ignorance, why should we count tramadol? Narcotics yes we count at every shift but why tramadol?

Tramadol is schedule IV since aug 18 2014