Is it ok to ask pharmasist for meds for selfuse

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jun 17, 2002

I think a bigger question in this scenario is--were you able to perform competently--render safe, effective patient care in your condition??? Especially after receiving rx from pharmacy??? Were narcotics involved???

sunnygirl272 · Jun 17, 2002

:nono: if this was Rx med, technically your supervisor was practicing medicine (as in MD) without a license...right? would have been more appropriate to either go home sick and utilize meds you had previously been Rx'd, or gone to ER...that of course is only IMHO...(no offense meant, i don't want you to feel i am attacking you...) :uhoh3:

:chair:

BBB · Jun 17, 2002

Narcotics were not involved, and it would be pretty difficult to do patient care while vomiting at the same time. I went home.

BBB · Jun 17, 2002

I appreciate your imput. I need to know if I can get into any kind of trouble for this.

RNforLongTime · Jun 17, 2002

Well, the hospitals that I've worked at have never given nurses any type of med. I would think that this would be practicing medicine without a license. I don't think though that you did anything wrong.

susanmary · Jun 17, 2002

Don't believe it is within your supervisor's scope of practice to get prescription medication from your facility's pharmacy for you. Nurses have been brought before my state's board of nursing for taking medication from a facility (and I'm speaking of an antibiotic pill not a narcotic.) Wasn't a good idea -- but I would let it go and learn from it. I don't think this will go anywhere. Personally,

I bring in my own stash of tylenol, tums, and motrin which I keep locked in my locker.

pebbles, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2002

If it involves any med that would normally require a prescription - this was illegal action and inappropriate by both your supervisor and the pharmacist.... Had one of the docs on duty assessed you and given a prescription, it would have been a different story.

I have no idea if you taking this med knowing that there was no prescription is a problem.... you were incapacitated by your migraine at the time, so I don't think you would be held responsible.

OrthoNutter · Jun 17, 2002

We aren't even allowed to use panadol (Tylenol) from hospital stock. If we're crook or in pain, we either get sent down to ED for treatment or right on home. Of course, if we have our own private stash like Susan, then that's okay but we aren't allowed to use anything which impairs judgement. Anything stronger than Tylenol or an NSAID and it's home time.

MollyJ · Jun 17, 2002

Perhaps you work in a smaller hospital, but the fact is, like above posters said, your well intentioned super was practicing medicine without a license.

IF it comes up again, just say that your appreciate her throughtfulness but "Thanks but no thanks."

My hubby went to a med mal prevention meeting where they said, "No one will ever thank you IN COURT for trying to saving them time." The corrolaries of this include, in addition to time, money or pain.

As a nurse I don't even share my private stock of ibuprofen without doing a mini-assessment including allergy to asa class drugs or gi problems.

BadBird, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2002

I personally would have gone home sick, I keep tylenol and my allergy meds with me in case I need them otherwise you would be safer going home. At least you notified the supervisor so I don't think you did anything wrong and you did go home sick. I think if the supervisor and pharmacist did not have any problem with giving you the med then it is probably ok and you won't get into trouble.

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2002

I don't know if this counts, but I've gotten Pepto Bismol from pharmacy with no problem...? This was recommended to me by a supervisor.