Meds in unlabeled bags... Is it safe?

[BiohazardBetty]

Would y'all have any problem storing meds for your patients in your WOW with no identifying features except for a room number? Our new charge nurse has started gathering our AM meds- which is really helpful & saves time, but he won't put anything other than the pt's room number on the stocked baggies (I included a pic). Sometimes he gets meds and room numbers mixed up, which hasn't been an issue for me because I use the computer/barcode scanner to administer all my meds, but makes me worried for others (however if they don't bother to scan their meds, a pt's name on the bag probably wouldn't make a difference)

He said he doesn't want labels on the bags because we keep all 9am meds for all 6-7 patients in our WOWs and he thinks it could cause a HIPAA violation...?? It would be really difficult for anyone not standing directly at the WOW to see anyone else's names on the labels.

Am I just anal & want everything labeled appropriately or is it a legitimate safety concern?

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

1. One of your bags read Xanax, can he pull a narc for a patient that is not his?

2. How do you know some of the nurses do not scan their meds before administering them to their patients ?

3. Does your WOW have draws?

4. How many patients do you have and what type of floor is it?

5. Do you have the same charge nurse everyday?

It says except Xanax. He pulled the meds that were due except the controlled substances.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

I'm so confused why you care so much about the darn pharmacy label if the pills are individually wrapped and you're comparing that label to your eMAR at the bedside and scanning on your WOW?

[BiohazardBetty]

I'm so confused why you care so much about the darn pharmacy label if the pills are individually wrapped and you're comparing that label to your eMAR at the bedside and scanning on your WOW?

Because I never felt comfortable walking around with bags of meds that were only labeled with a room number, since a room number is never ever considered an appropriate identifier.

[MunoRN, RN]

Because I never felt comfortable walking around with bags of meds that were only labeled with a room number, since a room number is never ever considered an appropriate identifier.

The only appropriate identifier needed is the name of the medication, dose, etc. You are still going to be applying the steps of medication administration so it doesn't matter if you got the med from a bag labelled with room number, patient name, or not even labelled at all.

[BiohazardBetty]

The only appropriate identifier needed is the name of the medication, dose, etc. You are still going to be applying the steps of medication administration so it doesn't matter if you got the med from a bag labelled with room number, patient name, or not even labelled at all.

Yes, that's what I've gathered from everyone's advice. I really appreciate y'alls help!

[AJJKRN]

Only the actual chart stickers would scan as the armband would. The stickers that come from pharmacy are only labeled with barcodes for the particular med that's sent in that bag, but the sticker also shows the pt's name, room number & ID number... So that's not a concern.

If the barcodes for the meds will scan then this is an even bigger no-no since the med in the bag or the dose may not match the bag...it's just up to us to not cut corners and do our checks no matter how the meds are packaged.

[nursel56]

It looks to me like the marker labels on the bags are the only identifiers other than the nurse visually confirming what the medication should look like, so no I don't think it would be standard of practice unless I'm missing something.

If you have the unopened blister packs that would be different. I have seen instances where an assisted living resident who spends a few days with family have all the meds in little stapled baggies but the family of the ALF resident gives them at the appropriate time. As a nurse, I don't see why this would be different from giving meds when another nurse did a portion of the "rights".

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

Because I never felt comfortable walking around with bags of meds that were only labeled with a room number, since a room number is never ever considered an appropriate identifier.

You're not using it as an identifier, you're using the patients arm band and stated name when you check the meds against the MAR at the bedside. I really think you're making a mountain out of a molehill here. You have a coworker trying to make your life easier. Choose your battles.

Your meds you pull from the Pyxis don't come out labelled with the patient's name.

The room number is being used solely for organizational purposes.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

It looks to me like the marker labels on the bags are the only identifiers other than the nurse visually confirming what the medication should look like, so no I don't think it would be standard of practice unless I'm missing something.

If you have the unopened blister packs that would be different. I have seen instances where an assisted living resident who spends a few days with family have all the meds in little stapled baggies but the family of the ALF resident gives them at the appropriate time. As a nurse, I don't see why this would be different from giving meds when another nurse did a portion of the "rights".

Yeah, she said it other replies he's putting unopened blister packs in there.

[Karou]

There is a unit at my hospital I have floated to that has a similar system. Nighttime pulls AM medications and and daytime pulls the PM ones. Supposedly makes the biggest med passes (09:00 & 21:00) faster.

My biggest complaint is that not all medications are correct. The physician will order a new medication, discontinue another, and/or change a dose after they get pre-pulled by the previous shift, and I end up having to return some medications and pull others. Then usually a patient will ask for a prn with their nighttime med pass. Since I end up at the Pyxis getting medications either way, this isn't a time saving thing for me at all. I would rather pull my medications myself.

[Scarlettz, BSN, RN]

I hate the idea of someone pulling my meds for me. I mostly go in the pyxsis and pull meds for one pt. at a time still. Of course I have pulled meds for multiple patients at times, but try to avoid it if possible. I would be extra cautious, check meds twice, dosages, pt name, scanning, etc.