Medication errors...

[KeeperOfTheIceRN, ADN]

Hello all.

How do you go about handling medication errors in your school? Since I travel between multiple campuses, I'm not on my main campus all of the time. When I'm not here, the administrative assistant handles all of the medications for the day, and has been trained to do so. Apparently there was a day this week where neither one of us was on campus (not something I was aware of ahead of time) and our curriculum director (not trained) ended up passing out a student's emergency prednisone as opposed to his focalin. I did not catch it until today when I went to give his daily med and noticed his prednisone bottle was empty. Obviously I'm going to contact parents and I've notified my director, but from there I'm not sure what I need to do. I did inform my director that not just anyone can administer meds and that I actually need to be the one to delegate that process so that I can ensure proper training.

I'll appreciate all the help y'all can give!

[OldDude]

I think it's an opportunity to look at your procedure but I believe it is just a local matter; especially since an unlicensed person committed the error. Sounds like you already did everything that needs to be done.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

What OldDude said...might be time for them to reconsider their staffing needs??!!

[KeeperOfTheIceRN, ADN]

What OldDude said...might be time for them to reconsider their staffing needs??!!

This is exactly what I told my husband when I got home!!! Fingers crossed that I'm bumped up to full time next year and can be hands one with the meds WAY more than I have been the last year I've worked here. We're lucky it turn into a giant cluster!

[KeeperOfTheIceRN, ADN]

I think it's an opportunity to look at your procedure but I believe it is just a local matter; especially since an unlicensed person committed the error. Sounds like you already did everything that needs to be done.

Thanks OD!