Help! passing meds in isolation rooms?

[x_coastie]

Just wanted to know how you pass meds in an isolation room. You must check the 7 rights with the med sheet at the bed side but you can't take the med sheet in the room with you. Any paper (second med sheet, printout etc.) taken into the patient's room must be thrown away in the room, there by creating a HIPPA violation if patient information is not shredded.

What is the correct way to pass meds without breaking HIPPA or isolation procedures?

Thanks for your input

[Flare, ASN, BSN]

Beyond the medex and the chart - both of which were checked when pulling the meds - no sheet required at the bedside - just check patient name bracelet. If your facility has a policy where they use a med sheet that needs to be brought in and out of the rooms then they should also have a policy for what to do when nothing can be brought out of that room.

By the way - I was only taught 5 rights of admin - what are the 7?

[pennyaline]

Just wanted to know how you pass meds in an isolation room. You must check the 7 rights with the med sheet at the bed side but you can't take the med sheet in the room with you. Any paper (second med sheet, printout etc.) taken into the patient's room must be thrown away in the room, there by creating a HIPPA violation if patient information is not shredded.

What is the correct way to pass meds without breaking HIPPA or isolation procedures?

Thanks for your input

Trash in isolation rooms is handled and disposed of differently than general facility trash. Red bagged trash is incinerated, completely, so anything you dispose of in an isolation room will be destroyed and not create a problem with HIPAA.

In my experience, meds are poured and checked outside an isolation room, then simply taken in to the patient and administered. Ask your manager/infection control person and see if there are exceptions to your facility's med pass procedures for isolation patients.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

We use name stickers on the side of a med cup. I then take the sticker off and rip it up when done.

[casi, ASN, RN]

For the most part nothing in our isolation rooms are disposed of differently. Everything goes down the same garbage shoot.

When going into isolation rooms I triple check everything in the med room. Drop the MAR right outside the room after I check the MAR for the patients full name and last four digits (rememberable) of the patients medical record number. Once in the room I still have the number and name in my head so I can check the nameband.

[x_coastie]

Thanks! We are in the process of making a policy for this and everything just seemed like a catch 22. It helps to know how other people handle this situation!

[x_coastie]

the seven rights include expiration date (of the med, not the patient), and allergies