Dropped Pill - Do you give it?

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

New ER to me. I dropped a pill on the computer and didn't want to give it. My preceptor did a fyi and said it was okay to give. I disagree.

ERs clean their own rooms. Computers are frequently missed or not fully wiped down. Those counters get urine and god knows what else on them. People don't wash their hands as well here. I don't think I would take a pill that fell on the computer desk so why should a patient? I get those cups aren't sterile but they are better than a computer where stuff gets put on it. Precautions aren't heavily practiced so who knows what could be passed to patient.

So do you give a pill that dropped on a computer screen?

[EDNURSE20, BSN]

Never give any pills I've dropped anywhere. There's always plenty more pills, just get rid of it and grab another one. Shouldn't be an issue, unless your constantly dropping them.

[Davey Do]

One of my LPN instructors once said: "Everybody's gotta eat a little dirt before they die!"

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

One of my LPN instructors once said: "Everybody's gotta eat a little dirt before they die!"

In my family the saying is "you have to eat a peck of dirt before you die"

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

If I drop a pill, I say "Oh no! I dropped the pill!" If the patient says "I don't care, give it to me" or something like that, I give it to them. Happens a lot.

[elkpark]

It depends -- did the client see me drop the pill??? :)

[SmilingBluEyes]

5 second rule-----be quick!

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

Can a mod edit the poll to make it anonymous? For some reason I thought anonymous meant no one could view results.

My thing is that ERs don't clean well. They push turnover. Even in the top rated ER I worked in the trchs didn't know about the clean and the need to keep items wet for X time.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Can a mod edit the poll to make it anonymous? For some reason I thought anonymous meant no one could view results.

My thing is that ERs don't clean well. They push turnover. Even in the top rated ER I worked in the trchs didn't know about the clean and the need to keep items wet for X time.

I appreciate your diligence, however if a pill is dropped on your computer station.. I can't see the contamination issue. It's NOT that easy to " get another pill". Especially if it's a scheduled drug.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

It's NOT that easy to " get another pill". Especially if it's a scheduled drug.

I worked places where it is easier to replace the scheduled drug and more difficult to get a new pill of another type. With the scheduled med, just go back to the Pyxis, waste the dropped one, pull a new one. For non-narcs, etc., you have to send a request to pharmacy, and who the heck knows when they will get around to sending a new one. Going back to the OP, this is usually not a factor in the ED.

Anyway, if I just drops on the computer screen, barring something extreme, I'm going to give it. Heck, the med cup, the pt's hand, etc. are probably no cleaner.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I had to go with other. Our meds are dispensed in little labeled pouches and they are a PITA to re-dispense. If God forbid that dropped pill is a narc the process for getting a new one is darn near impossible so you bet we'll spend the time looking for that one no matter how far it rolls away. So...pill on the med cart, computer and yes - even floor falls under the 5 second rule unless state is in the building. Of course working in LTC if we followed all the rules by what state says a 2 hour med pass would be considerably longer anyway, so a dropped pill isn't that big a deal to us.

[Alex_RN, BSN]

If your personal policy is to replace any dropped pill, which is what I do, you will soon find that you drop far fewer pills.