Hello..new and wondering???

Tweety, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2006

Good question. Moved to the General Nursing forum out of Introductions since you are asking a specific question. Hopefully someone will be able to tell you what they do.

I usually wash the pill crusher before I used it, but am not sure there is a protocol.

patwil73 · Dec 8, 2006

I always clean pill crushers before and after I use them - I don't believe we have a specific protocol for it, but I have seen patients go into anaphylactic shock with just a touch of whatever they are allergic to, so I wouldn't want to risk them getting a taste of some medicine they are extremely allergic to.

This is a natural progression of my routine between patients anyway - clean hands, clean stethescope, so clean pill crusher.

Hope that helps,

Pat

Trauma Columnist · Dec 8, 2006

Hmm - our pill crusher has itsy bitsy envelopes that you put the meds into and then crush them. The machine itself doesn't even touch the pills.

BrnEyedGirl, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Dec 9, 2006

Hmm - our pill crusher has itsy bitsy envelopes that you put the meds into and then crush them. The machine itself doesn't even touch the pills.

Ours too!

banditrn · Dec 9, 2006

Ours too!

Yep, ours has small plastic envelopes.

BJLynn · Dec 9, 2006

Hmm - our pill crusher has itsy bitsy envelopes that you put the meds into and then crush them. The machine itself doesn't even touch the pills.

Same at both facilities I have worked at recently.

miko014 · Dec 9, 2006

Hmm - our pill crusher has itsy bitsy envelopes that you put the meds into and then crush them. The machine itself doesn't even touch the pills.

I wish we had one of those. They had one at the nursing home where I did clinicals when I was in school, and it was so much nicer!

We have the twist-top kinds. You put the pill in and twist the top until it crushes. Unfortunately, it stciks really bad, so half the time, you get the pill crushed but then can't get it out. And then when we can't find the crusher, we just leave the pills in their unit-dose envelopes and pound the crap out of them with whatever we can find.

I always wash the twisty one, but as far as I know, we don't have a policy about it. But there have been many times when I walked in to find it coated with who knows what becasue the person before me didn't take 2 seconds to wash it.

littlebear · Dec 9, 2006

Where I work we used to have one of the twisty ones as well. They have now been banned. If we need to crush tablets then it's between two spoons. Fortunately it is very rare that we have to do this where I work. Is it something that happens a lot elsewhere?

mekrn · Dec 10, 2006

Hmm - our pill crusher has itsy bitsy envelopes that you put the meds into and then crush them. The machine itself doesn't even touch the pills.

Wow, how fancy! While I haven't had to do it for a long while, I used to smash the pill inside the blister package with a Nitro bottle! :lol2: No fancy pill crushers for us!

sister--* · Dec 10, 2006

Where I work we used to have one of the twisty ones as well. They have now been banned. If we need to crush tablets then it's between two spoons. Fortunately it is very rare that we have to do this where I work. Is it something that happens a lot elsewhere?

Yep, we do it quite frequently. We have a glass mortar and pestal (spelling?), and a heavy hinged metal one where the pills are placed in a paper medcup covered by another paper medcup. Then you bring the hinged top down and pound it for as many strikes as it takes.....pretty noisy and requires a very solid base.

Thanks for this thread. I'll do a much better job of cleaning the things after use!

You know, a written protocol wouldn't be a bad idea!

rnin02 · Dec 10, 2006

Wow, how fancy! While I haven't had to do it for a long while, I used to smash the pill inside the blister package with a Nitro bottle! No fancy pill crushers for us!

I always liked putting the pill(s) between 2 plastic med cups and grinding them up with a 10cc NS vial. Works perfectly, no mess left in the official pill crusher!