Scared of the Pyxis

[mzjennx, BSN, RN]

Hi there guys. I am so happy that I am a RN and administer my own meds. At the hospital that I am at we have a med dispensing machine called Pyxis. Sometimes I feel scared to use, especially when taking out narcotics. It is suppose to be a smart machine. When your getting meds for a patient, you have to identify the patient first, then identify the med, then the machine will open the drawer the med is in and you take out the med. If it is a narotic, it says to count all the meds in the pocket drawer first before you take the med you need for the patient. I fear that I may miscount or take the wrong med sometimes... so I am double checking and triple checking.

New grads, share in my grief. Do you have this experience too. I feel so silly to be worried about this, but I dont want to have a med descreptancy!

[NewmanFamily6]

Personally I love pyxis because it makes it difficult to have a med error. First you scan your finger. Then you pick out the patient. Next you pick out which med then it tells you which pocket the med is in. All you need to do is make sure the drug you take out is in fact what you are supposed to be getting. Pharmacy folks are human and can make mistakes too.

[Kathyz]

I love the Pyxis too! My only problem is that it takes a while for it to recognize my fingerprint and sometimes not at all so I go to the other Pyxis. It is possible to override meds for a patient so just be sure you double check at the bedside too! We're completely electronic so a chance of error at my hospital is pretty low. I get more worried about giving Dilaudid to patients and BP meds, Lasix, etc.

[guest64485]

If you miscount it will merely tell you to recount the meds. I've miscounted before with no problems. Don't let the pyxis scare you!

And yes, sometimes there is a wrong med in the pyxis, so it is important that after you are done removing all your meds, you check the type of med and dosage against your paper MAR. It just becomes part of the routine. This will also help remind you of IVs and patient specific meds that are due that the pyxis may not remind you to take out.

[RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN]

Hi there guys. I am so happy that I am a RN and administer my own meds. At the hospital that I am at we have a med dispensing machine called Pyxis. Sometimes I feel scared to use, especially when taking out narcotics. It is suppose to be a smart machine. When your getting meds for a patient, you have to identify the patient first, then identify the med, then the machine will open the drawer the med is in and you take out the med. If it is a narotic, it says to count all the meds in the pocket drawer first before you take the med you need for the patient. I fear that I may miscount or take the wrong med sometimes... so I am double checking and triple checking.

New grads, share in my grief. Do you have this experience too. I feel so silly to be worried about this, but I dont want to have a med descreptancy!

You'll look back on this email in the very near future and probably get a kick out of it.

You shouldn't be scared of the pyxis. If you miscount the machine will give you two

attempts, if you create a discrepency after the 2nd time, get your charge nurse and

explain. It's really No big deal at all. If anything you should be scared or take special precautions with, and that is giving the patient the med. You can't kill or harm anybody using the pyxis, but if you administer the wrong med, that's reason to worry. Focus your anxiety on something a little more

worth worrying over.