Counting the Pyxis bid

[Riseupandnurse]

A few months ago the hospital I work at started a new policy that all the Pyxises have to be counted at 0700 and 1900. Nobody can go home until the count is finished. Of course, what usually happens is report first, then count, because there has to be a nurse from oncoming and offgoing shifts counting together. It takes about 20 minutes. Tonight I found out the floor added a second Pyxis and that has to be counted too. It is very frustrating. I'm not sure why we have to do this. Does anybody else have to do this, and is there any way to move this along faster? You're virtually guaranteed you will be at least 30 minutes overshift now.

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

Nope. Our oncoming and offgoing charge nurses count together at change of each shift, but the rest of us don't have to stay for it. IF you are involved in a discrepancy you are not allowed to leave until it's solved, whether you are the origin or the discoverer of said discrepancy. Pardon for asking if it's rude, but was someone caught diverting on your floor? That's the only reason I can think of for this rule.

[oneLoneNurse]

We count once a week, but print discrepancies once a shift.

[travelcrazyRN]

sounds like they have multiple med discrepancies, twice a day pxysis count seems a bit over the top...especially if discrepancies reported on the screen are fixed within that shift.

[meandragonbrett]

The facility that I work at that has Pyxis is counted every sunday night. My other facility has OmniCell and we don't have to count it as it has a dispense that only dispenses what you've told it to.

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

We have never counted the pyxis (about 12 years at least)

[whipping girl in 07, RN]

Sounds like the old days of a narc box counted shift to shift. What the hell is the point of the EXPENSIVE technology of a Pixis if you have to count it shift to shift???

We always made whoever had the narc keys count the box, so no one wanted to have to give narcs @ 6:15!

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

Sounds like the old days of a narc box counted shift to shift. What the hell is the point of the EXPENSIVE technology of a Pixis if you have to count it shift to shift???

:yeahthat:

[EmmaG, RN]

Where I'm working now, they use omnicell (I call it a 'pyxis' in a generic sort of way) and there's no counting. I've worked places that use an actual Pyxis-pyxis, and have seen them count 1-2 times a week. I prefer omnicell not just for that reason, but because it just seems far easier to use.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Offgoing charge nurse and one other RN count together near the end of each shift - takes about 7-8 minutes. Other staff are not affected. Discrepancies are dealt with as they may occur throughout the day.

Incidentally, even these electronic dispensing systems (Pyxis, Omnicell, etc.) do need to be counted on some kind of periodic basis to physically verify the contents of each drawer.

I agree - the procedure the OP describes is unnecessary unless there is suspicion/evidence of diversion.

[EmmaG, RN]

Incidentally, even these electronic dispensing systems (Pyxis, Omnicell, etc.) do need to be counted on some kind of periodic basis to physically verify the contents of each drawer.

Perhaps it's done by pharmacy, not sure; but here at least, nursing doesn't.

[Riseupandnurse]

Thanks to everyone for their input! I haven't heard of any diversions on our floor; it was a policy that was implemented for the whole hospital at once to count bid. Wouldn't be so bad if 1) the Pyxis would let you go faster. It s l o w l y opens each receptacle while you stand there and twiddle your thumbs and/or 2) we didn't stock so many drugs, all of which have to be counted, even the nonnarcotics like xopenex etc. I DO wish we would just go back to the old narcotics box, if we have to count like this. At least we could go at our own pace and it had only narcotics in it.