Medication refrigerators

[cmm0012345]

Would like to know if refrigerators used for medicalions in an ASC need to have a lock on them?

Thanks,

This is for a AAAHC survey!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Our refrigerators are tied into the pyxis system, so they lock automatically. The few that aren't tied in do not have locks.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

All of our meds are tied into the Pyxis, so they are automatically locked. Some of our implants (bone grafts, bone cement (with Tobra) are in an unlocked fridge.

[mcmike55]

All meds are kept locked. The majority are in the Pyxis fridge. We keep a small amout of meds (insulin, Pepcid, etc) in an unlocked fridge in our holding area, but the door to the med room is closed and locked when unattended.

Our narcs are locked at all times.

Mike

[TammyCNOR]

Our med room has a lock on the door, we just had our survey and that was acceptable. However...our pharmacy consultant put a med cup of water in the freezer and after frozen put a penny on top of the ice. When checking the temp, she said always check the penny, if it has not sank to the bottom, you know your refrigerator has maintained temp. When the surveyors came through, they were completely disgusted with the penny contraption and threw it away right in front of me, somewhat mocking. I was just doing what I was told! Grrr!!

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Our med room has a lock on the door, we just had our survey and that was acceptable. However...our pharmacy consultant put a med cup of water in the freezer and after frozen put a penny on top of the ice. When checking the temp, she said always check the penny, if it has not sank to the bottom, you know your refrigerator has maintained temp. When the surveyors came through, they were completely disgusted with the penny contraption and threw it away right in front of me, somewhat mocking. I was just doing what I was told! Grrr!!

Can't say that I blame them- just think of all the places that penny could have been and the germs it could have picked up!

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

Our med room has a lock on the door, we just had our survey and that was acceptable. However...our pharmacy consultant put a med cup of water in the freezer and after frozen put a penny on top of the ice. When checking the temp, she said always check the penny, if it has not sank to the bottom, you know your refrigerator has maintained temp. When the surveyors came through, they were completely disgusted with the penny contraption and threw it away right in front of me, somewhat mocking. I was just doing what I was told! Grrr!!

heh heh, clever idea for illustrating her point, but she could just have issued you with a temp monitor-you know, those little ones that you put in the fridge? Of course, you get fancier electronic ones that can be placed outside the fridge, and which sound an alarm if the temp rises too high or if the fridge is inadvertantly switched off.

Object lesson-if it's not supposed to be there, get rid of it before inspection! Heh-heh-heh...

[Argo]

JC will require that all medications are behind a minimum of one lock. Whether it be a door going into the room that has the fridge in it or the fridge has a lock on it. If you are keeping Narcs or other critical drugs like this in there you have to have them behind 2 locks. This is why you have your pyxis typically behind a locked door, pyxis is one lock, the door is the second lock.....