just a quick question--kind of debating with pharmacy dept at my hospital
re-the pixis and returning meds
i always thought safe nursing practice was--if you remove a narcotic to administer and for whatever reason, it is not given-- it should be wasted and signed as such by 2 nurses witnessing this--even if the med was never removed from it's vial or it's carpuject tube
my pharmacy states we can return these to the external return bin. these bins are emptied weekly by a pharm tech.
now-- my dilemma. i am the last nurse to sign out this med (call it dilaudid). i never open it or crack it's seal. i return it to the return bin. pixis records that i have done this. 3 days later a pharm tech empties the bin. how do i know they don't pocket that med and then claim i never actually returned it? my word against someone else's?
am i the only one that thinks this could be a problem? my pharmacy director thinks i'm making a mountain out of a molehill.
i don't think i am. so, i am asking for your input-- how do you guys handle this in your units?
