"Community" Insulin

Nurses General Nursing

Published

How do you guys feel about sharing insulin for all your patients?

What is your hospital's policy? I'm just a student, and it is the unforgiveable sin for us to give insulin that doesn't have the patient's name on it, but the nurses on the floor get irritated when we can't give it for that reason. I know there are a few floors with a bin full of Novolog bottles with God knows who's name on it. It seems like it would be a HIPAA violation as well, no?

Specializes in ICU.

withholding treatment as simple as an insulin injection because you don't have a pen with that patient's specific name on it is just crazy. we use multidose vials so treatment can be administered promptly. i see insulin pens becoming more popular but given the turn around time for pharmacy to deliver meds i hope we don't get rid of the multidose vials. :smokin:

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Specializes in ER.

We use one vial for all patients in our ER, and get a fresh one monthly.

I'm so ancient I remember using community pill bottles, and drawing up individual doses of IV antibiotics. Ampicillin was only good for an hour once reconstituted, so we had a grand rush every 6 hours to get our doses in.

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