Most common LTC meds

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Specializes in Currently: Certified School Nurse.

I am looking to compile a list of some of the more common meds seen in LTC. I want to do some studying and brushing up before I have my interview for a LTC RN position.

Also if you can share anything else that is fairly common in a LTC facility that I should review please let me know!

MANY thanks in advance for taking the time to respond

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Specializes in Acute rehab, LTC, Community Health.

Hi there, good luck on your interview! The meds I most commonly see are Synthroid, the diabetic agents (Glipizide, Metformin usually),digoxin, tons of Lasix!, metoprolol, atenolol, cardizem, nitroglycerin, percocet, oxycontin, ativan, haldol, ultram, trazadone, neurontin, lovenox and prilosec. Those seem to be the ones that are at the top of my head right now and you will probably get to know very well on the job. Again, good luck to you!:yeah:

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Specializes in Geriatric/LTC, Rehab, Home Hhealth.

Let's not forget LOTS of colace, miralax, senna to go with the lortab. Seeing a good bit of plavix. Lots of coumadin. Norvasc is pretty common. Standing orders for phenergan, chlorphenermine. It seems like MD favor catapres for lowering a blood pressure quickly. The ABT of choice is levaquin. Good luck with your interview!

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Specializes in LTC, Med-Surg, GP Office.

We give a lot of Aricept, Remeron (Mirtazapine), Ambien, Florastor...

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Specializes in NCLEX Prep/Nursing Student Advisor.

i work on a sub acute unit we give

heparin, fragmin, lovenox

renagel, sensipar, phosphlo

lots of insulin reg nph 70/30 lantus apidra .....

good luck on your interview

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Specializes in Long Term Care.

Zocor, Namenda, Excelon patches,and the herbals : acidophillis capsules (probiotic- was interested in that after several people were on them.) milk thistle (for liver and gallbladder- had to google that one too) ABT: Cipro for UTI or Bactrim ,I see tons of.

I wanted to learn what all the meds were first. But, at first I concentrated on accuracy on my med pass as I had 30 pts. We are fortunate that the diagnosis is on the MAR but now that I feel comfy with the pass, I really started to research why they use certain meds. I have my med book on my phone and it helps so much as I go through and am not certain of something. I would invest in one if you already haven't..

Good Luck!!!

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Specializes in Long Term Care.

OMG... I forgot.... Of course every little elderly person is on the biggest pill ever made for their little throats.... Potassium....

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Specializes in MED/SURG STROKE UNIT, LTC SUPER., IMU.

Yes, potassium....especially if they are on lasix. Remember to Never crush potassium. If you have a pt that can't take such a big pill or they have a g-tube, get the potassium in liquid form. Look up Vancomyacin as well and if you have any on it, find out when the last vanco trough was done. That's a biggie if it hasn't been kept up on. Lots of Lortab, Ultram, and oxycotin as well if you have a rehab side to your long term care unit. B12 shots as well. Advair, albuteral and other inhalation/nebulizer treatments. Reglan and Ambian as well. I know there are lots more, but can't come up with any right now.

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Specializes in LTC.
Yes, potassium....especially if they are on lasix. Remember to Never crush potassium. If you have a pt that can't take such a big pill or they have a g-tube, get the potassium in liquid form. Look up Vancomyacin as well and if you have any on it, find out when the last vanco trough was done. That's a biggie if it hasn't been kept up on. Lots of Lortab, Ultram, and oxycotin as well if you have a rehab side to your long term care unit. B12 shots as well. Advair, albuteral and other inhalation/nebulizer treatments. Reglan and Ambian as well. I know there are lots more, but can't come up with any right now.

I read on a thread here that if you have a patient on K-Dur you can put the pill whole in applesauce and it will dissolve. I will not make a patient swallow that damn pill whole. I wouldn't even swallow that whole.

OP- Common pills I see are Lopressor, coumadin, digoxin, lasix, namenda, aricept, percocet, xanax, colace, sennakot, zocor, seroquel, haldol, and every b/p med under the sun ending in -pril lol,

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Specializes in Currently: Certified School Nurse.

MANY MANY thanks to all who wished me luck and MANY MANY thanks to all who took the time to list the meds.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

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Know the prils - enalipril, lisinopril - and diltiazem.

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I have lots of lasix, potassuim, dig, coumadin, zocor, neurotin, depakote, insulins and oral diabetic meds, ativan, klonopin, percs, all the stool softeners, aricept, namanda, spriva, advair, nebs, lopressor, reglan, seroquel

Pretty much all that has been listed already.

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