Locking up IV solutions

My facility's policy is that all IV solutions must be locked up. I'm not sure if this a legal requirment or a JCAHO mandate.

One word Pxyis.

Of course at times that leads to 4 words Pain in the A--

Rj

I'm still a student, but at the facility where we do most of our clinicals (and I worked as an extern last summer), the IVF are most often kept in the med room, along with the tubing, cathlons, needles, etc.

Only the IV's with meds get locked up in our PYXIS...what is the rationale for locking up plain IV's

The admin wants everything locked up, so that they can charge for it, item by item. It is all about the $$$$$$, safety is just the excuse.

thanks for your responses.

Our IV solutions are from Baxter and it says on the bag "for Rx only" on all bags, even the plain ones. Our pharmacy department is interpretting that to mean that we include them in the lock up.

It's not just about the money. We had a JCAHO review last Sept and they were very picky about med storage. They made comments about even securing our crash carts or putting them in plain site because "someone" could role the cart down the hall and into the stairwell to raid it. They are taking medication security very seriously.

I don't know about your facility but ours has a LOT of fixed payers, so it doesn't matter if you charge it to the patient - for the most part, you will not get it back.

thanks for your responses.

Our IV solutions are from Baxter and it says on the bag "for Rx only" on all bags, even the plain ones. Our pharmacy department is interpretting that to mean that we include them in the lock up.

It's not just about the money. We had a JCAHO review last Sept and they were very picky about med storage. They made comments about even securing our crash carts or putting them in plain site because "someone" could role the cart down the hall and into the stairwell to raid it. They are taking medication security very seriously.

I don't know about your facility but ours has a LOT of fixed payers, so it doesn't matter if you charge it to the patient - for the most part, you will not get it back.

JCAHO is even picky about the pre-filled saline syringes not being left on the counter. IV bags and prefilled syringes are considered medications by them. Where I work, IV solutions are kept in the stock room which is locked.

Everything we use for patients including the linen is in a locked room. We have keypad access. Regular scheduled meds are in a med cart, narcotics and controlled meds are accessed through a double lock system with a room with a pixis type access. The "kitchen" which is a closet with ice machine, cups, coffee pot and refrig with applesauce, pudding and gingerale is not locked yet.