Pxyis Medication Administration

[Deb Howe]

I am an RN and work in a rural 72-bed acute care facility. Presently, we use the cart system to administer routine medications and the pyxis medistation for PRN'S and STAT orders. We will be implimenting the use of the pyxis for all medication administration this Fall. I am very concerned about this transition and the efficiency of timely administration. How has this system worked for others?

[jazzynurse7]

I've used the system for a while it seems to work well with time management. The transition may be difficult as with any change, before long you will be in putting all your pt.s meds, which you seem to memorize after a glance at the MAR and slamming drawers as they open. PLUS you don't have to count Narcotics.:)

I am an RN and work in a rural 72-bed acute care facility. Presently, we use the cart system to administer routine medications and the pyxis medistation for PRN'S and STAT orders. We will be implimenting the use of the pyxis for all medication administration this Fall. I am very concerned about this transition and the efficiency of timely administration. How has this system worked for others?

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I have briefly been exposed to this system, and you do get use to it. It takes some time. At first it feels like it will take too much time...but it is not so bad.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Well let's put it this way, when my home floor found out they were getting a pyxis machine, several nurses jumped and yelled "YES!!!" and one did a cartwheel.

[suzanne4, RN]

I have always loved the machine. And I promise that you will to, once you get used to it.

[unknown99, BSN, RN]

The pyxis system is AWESOME!!!!

[OneChattyNurse]

i have never used this system in an acute setting, but i loved it in an intermediate setting at the va.

i wish we had this system where i work now, counting narcs is a bummer!!

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

I WISH we had one of those!!! It seems like we're always waiting for pharmacy to tube us up meds and standard IV bags. It'd be so great to just go to the Pyxis and have most of our meds right there. We'd probably still do our narcs the same way though, since we don't use pills or pre-made syringes but instead share large vials diluted by pharmacy. But I do agree that maybe it'd be best just for STAT/PRN meds though, since I can totally see a traffic jam if everyone is getting their meds at the same time.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I absolutely LOVED it for PRNS, stat meds., or when a med was missing from the patients box. However, it is a different thing when you have to take all meds. given out of the PXYS. Still, it works and you get use to it. Is it PXYS or PXYIS??? I forget. :chuckle

[debx]

It means that you save time searching through bins in the med cart looking for the pill that was sent for your patient that someone swiped because it was missing from their patient's bin!

The pyxis is GREEEAAAT!

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

It's okay. We started it in March, and have been getting some glitches out. We haven't used carts in two years, we were all passing meds out of drawers in the med room (JACHO said our carts were a fire hazard in the hall), so the Pyxis isn't any more crowded than five nurses in a med room the size of a bathroom stall!!!!!! :rotfl:

Once they get all the glitches out of the system, it's a good thing!!!!!

[IamRN]

I love the system! Only draw back in my unit, is that not all the meds are over-ridable so we still have to wait for pharmacy to place them int he patients profile for us to be able to access them. Emergency/urgent meds are, however.