Pharmacy Stocking during MedPass

[HotChocolatePlease]

Hi all! At my facility I have noticed that our big pharmacy stock times are during our biggest medpasses! Nursing is only supposed to pull meds on one patient at a time, so that's about seven nurses making 5-6 stops at the Pyxis at 0800, and we have to wait for the pharm tech to find a good stopping place to suspend their inventory and let us pull.

I know there has to be a better, safer, more efficient way than this. My hope is to come up with a plan to present to my supervisor and pharmacy rep that is more eloquent than saying "pharmacy should stock later" or "we need another Pyxis". How is this handled at other facilities?

[Sour Lemon]

We tend to let them finish and then pull meds unless it's an urgent PRN. Attempting to pull meds from an unstocked machine is even slower and more irritating than waiting. Being interrupted over and over has got to be frustrating for them, too. I wouldn't worry about coming up with a plan at this point. Just ask if the times could be adjusted a bit and see what they say.

[pixierose, BSN, RN]

^^^ What Sour Lemon said.

This was happening on our floor; the tech was stocking right at med pass. We asked pharmacy if they could do so either an hour before or after. It worked out. No need to be "eloquent," just simple and honest.

[bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN]

Ours stock at odd times (0500, 1030ish and 1400). Their big stock time is the 0500 and the others are small fill up and last minute order items. The 1400 can sometimes mess up the 1500 med pass if they are running late (they stock all the units on the same run so if your unit is past on the list then the tech may not get there until close to 1500).