Drug patch error prevention

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

from ismp:

preventing patient deaths from fentanyl patches

caution on no-name drug patches

[txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN]

this is true the catapress patch is not recognizable because the medicated patch is on the skin with a bigger unlabeled patch on top. never even thought about it as being a problem (but it is) ..however, any nurse that medicates a patient should know what kind of medications her patient is taking , this includes medications that have been recently been discontinued.

[wayunderpaid]

I also read elsewhere on this forum that wasting these medications in the regular trash ends up contaminating the environment. Patches should be disposed in the sharps, and so should prefilled PCA syringes, etc. When you dump these drugs in the sink, you ensure they end up in the sewer/river/lakes, contaminating the environment.