Expiration date checks on supplies

[stellabella236]

Trying to get an idea if this is normal everywhere -

I'm working at a pediatric community health clinic in TX and a bit confused by the fixation here about expiration dates on supplies. It's discussed at this clinic ad nauseam.

Each month we're expected to go through every exam rooms and to check the expiration date on every item in the room. One manager has asked us to write out the (already printed) expiration date in sharpie to each individual alcohol square, which really seems excessive.

This is more of a curiosity than complaint. It's not a big deal. And I fully understand checking expiration dates on medications etc. but this feels like overkill.

Doing my supply check for this month and turns out, the alcohol pads still expire 04/2021, we still have another 4 yrs on the lube and 6 yrs on the gloves, same as we did last month.

I had personally never heard this topic mentioned when I was working in the hospital setting. Asked my group of girl friends who are nurses in different states and various settings and they were equally confused.

Is this expected everywhere? Did I just miss the memo about this topic at previous jobs? Is it a Texas thing? Or maybe it's particular to this clinic and management.

I'm curious bc it just feels peculiar to me.

Thnx guys!

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Each individual alcohol swab????

Your manager needs directions. Destination: reality.

[stellabella236]

Yep. I refuse to write on the individual alcohol swabs on principle.

[brownbook]

I can already hear big No No's about writing on each alcohol swab.....the ink from the sharpie could penetrate the wrapping and contaminate the swab!

Either directions to "reality", or a psychiatrist office for OCD treatment.

[2Ask]

Yes. In the email telling us to watch for expired stock the rationale is "to help us remain compliant and Survey ready at all times".

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Can you go through each room, and document somewhere that the next item to expire is in xxxx? Then you don't need to check it every single month. You just need a system that works, not something that would require adding another staff member. Also, if an alcohol swab expires, what does that mean? Alcohol is going to be good as long as it's wet, and if you pick up a dry swab you'd replace it anyway.

My last two hospitals, the sterile supplies were considered sterile, unless the wrapping had been broken, expired or not. You can google articles that support that position (I'm too lazy right now). But that cut out a ton of monthly check work.

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

Agree with canoehead about the checklist.

Make an excel document. List item, lot #, expiration date.

We account for a lot of stuff in our office but I am not checking alcohol swabs expiration date, or gloves. We're probably supposed to, but there are just too many other things that are taking priority.

We do.check expiration dates once a month during med turnover, which is also when we resolve discrepancies, account for everything, and make sure we have what we need for the month. It's the last day of every month and two nurses do that all day with no other assignment.

If I was expected to date individual alcohol pads on that day... just no. The box maybe.

[smf0903]

Our facility is pretty anal about expired stuff too...not to the extent of writing dates on individual alcohol pads though ? I try to look through things as I stock and if we’re slow we check through stuff. I didn’t realize how many dang things had expiration dates until I started looking (like the long handled swabs...the ones that look like a q-tip...who knew?) Bigger ticket items like CVC kits and HD lines, stuff like that we are sure to rotate so that the nearest to expire will be at the front of the pile to use. If it’s due to be expired within like 6 months, we have bright stickers on them that say “use first”.

[LovingLife123]

Your manager is excessive. Who has the time to do that? I work at a facility that always does pretty well on our surveys and we do not do that.

If your manager thinks alcohol swans are going to make or break a survey, they are mistaken. It’s when you start focusing on these nonsensical things that the big safety things start getting missed.

[MelEpiRN]

I've been the scribe for multiple TJC surveys of clinics. They never checked individual alcohol exp. The box of them, sure. Gel for ultrasounds, glucometer strips, kits of things, and the handwashing gel, yes.

Somebody is misinterpreting the rules. (Or your survey isn't TJC and I don't know other standards).

[klone, MSN, RN]

Agree with Canoe that you need to make a list of the nearest out-date in each room and what the item is. That way, you don't have to reinvent the wheel every month.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

17 hours ago, brownbook said:

or a psychiatrist office for OCD treatment.

That was seriously my thought as well. I’ve never worked in an office that kept track of the expiration dates for anything except meds and sterile packages.