Medication Shortages

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Fall prevention.

Ok i work on a med/surge floor that mainly deals with post surgical patients (abdominal mostly). Recently we have been getting memos that state first there is a nation wide shortage of single dose morphine and to have the docs prescribe something else for pain ( did i say we were a post surgery floor). Then there was a nation wide shortage of

D50 (which i find out when my pt BS drops to 46). Then a nationwide shortage of vitamin C (that goes in TPN bags) and the most recent one is a shortage of Nubain. So far none of these shortages have been resolved. Is anyone else experiencing these shortages?:confused:

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

We were going through a shortage of leucovorin for a while. I think it just resolved the other day, but we didn't have it for weeks, which affected chemo regimens.

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Calcium chloride and epi syringes is what we've got posted, below which it says to use the crash cart if needed emergently. Also heard about etoposide IV being short too. And some time ago was hearing about heparin for infusions being short. If it's not one thing, it's another.

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Oh yeah, I forgot about when our 4mg/mL morphine carpujects were out, and we had to use 10mg/mL vials...also think I noticed a general increase in doses while that was happening.

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Specializes in ICU.

We are currently short on IV morphine, IV lasix, and lipids for TPN. Not long ago, we were also short on propofol.

Has this kind of problem always been around? I don't remember drug shortages like these when I was tech or a new grad.

:paw:

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Oh yeah, I forgot about when our 4mg/mL morphine carpujects were out, and we had to use 10mg/mL vials...also think I noticed a general increase in doses while that was happening.

I'm sure the patients didn't mind. ;)

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I remember not too long ago hearing about a shortage of fentanyl and nubain. Right now we are short the morphine from our normal supplier, so they are getting morphine from someone else that looks very similar to other meds. Also out of bacitracin.

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Specializes in ER.

here I was thinking it was just my hospital experiencing this! I didn't realize it was national. We've been out of morphine for a while (but that doesn't stop the doctors prescribing it! grrr) and I know D50 was gone for a while too.

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Specializes in Psych/CD/Medical/Emp Hlth/Staff ED.

We're finally getting IV lasix again, apparently there was only one manufacturer in the US and the factory burned down. We've also been using 10mg morphine carpujects for every 1 or 2mg morphine dose, wasting the other 8 or 9 mg.

A good argument for less monopolies in the supply chain.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I work in hospice, but we have been having difficulty getting our morphine (oral 20mg/ml) and liquid oxycodone (20mg/ml).

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Specializes in Cardiology, Psychiatry.

We are currently using the Morphine 10mg/ml vials because of a shortage. Not too long ago it was IV Vasotec and premixed heparin bags. I haven't noticed a dosage increase with using the 10mg vials- to me it's such a waste since most of our patients only get 1 or 2mg at a time.

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Specializes in critical care, PACU.

weve been out of morphine and only have 4mg and 10mg which is a PITA!

we also dont stock lasix on the floor anymore d/t a shortage

a few months back we had a propofol shortage, idk if it was MJ related

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