meds that you can't mix?

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What are some common meds you may see on the medsurg floor, or even the nursing home that you can't let mix together, including IV drugs.?? THanks.

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

That may indeed become a rather long list. Every nursing unit or even every nurse should own or have access to a medication book or website that allows for checking of interactions. With our computerized MAR, we even get alerts telling us medications are incompatible if we try to give them at the same time, and each med always has an icon to show it is incompatible with another prescribed medication.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

That's what Trissel's is for. Look it up if you're not sure.

Specializes in Pedi.

You check compatibility before EVERY time you think about mixing meds. PERIOD.

It's much easier and safer to know the small number of meds which *can* be mixed.

The few I know off the top of my head are:

Morphine / Zofran

Dilaudid / Zofran

Dilute octreotide / dilute protonix

Fentanyl / Versed

Beyond that, I look it up.

Amphotericin B complex with many other drugs are a big no-no for IV

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Scares me that your employer does not have a ready reference for this type of information. Even our medication dispenser has a drug reference program. I recommend you refer to the Institute of Safe Medication Practices if you have no other helps.

Scares me that your employer does not have a ready reference for this type of information. Even our medication dispenser has a drug reference program. I recommend you refer to the Institute of Safe Medication Practices if you have no other helps.

The OP is studying for the NCLEX, and I'm guessing is looking to get down some rote memorization concerning medications.

Specializes in Emergency.

You can mix protonix with octreotide? Didn't know that. Thought protonix was the marlene deitrich of meds.

Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.
Thought protonix was the marlene deitrich of meds.

Nice! I always thought amio was up for that award, but I found out that amio is compatible with Vanc (I believe it was Vanc :nailbiting: look it up to be sure before trying it).

Anyway, to the OP, there is no way to memorize every possible med-med compatibility. This is why we have drug books and online references.

You can mix protonix with octreotide? Didn't know that. Thought protonix was the marlene deitrich of meds.

You can, but ONLY if they are both dilute (that is, drips). If you look it up in Tressel, it lists as "variable". One advantage of working in a large medical center is having 24x7 clinical pharm support.

This was a matter of contention between some of our nurses.

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