Dropped Pill - Do you give it?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Do you give a dropped pill

    • 5
      Yes - always
    • 55
      Yes as long as it isn’t the floor
    • 9
      Yes if the patient didn’t see it
    • 53
      No
    • 18
      Other

140 members have participated

New ER to me. I dropped a pill on the computer and didn't want to give it. My preceptor did a fyi and said it was okay to give. I disagree.

ERs clean their own rooms. Computers are frequently missed or not fully wiped down. Those counters get urine and god knows what else on them. People don't wash their hands as well here. I don't think I would take a pill that fell on the computer desk so why should a patient? I get those cups aren't sterile but they are better than a computer where stuff gets put on it. Precautions aren't heavily practiced so who knows what could be passed to patient.

So do you give a pill that dropped on a computer screen?

I've dropped pills on the floor, and once I dusted it off and gave it. One time in 20 years and I still feel kinda bad about it. I was desperately busy but...(sigh). I know it's not right.

0 Votes

I guess LTC is different as the pills would never fall on the computer and we use med carts. Generally, I will clean my cart at the being of the shift, so I don't think dropping a pill on the cart is that big of a deal. Dropping it on the floor, I would throw it out.. but most residents will insist on taking the pill anyway. However, throwing out pills can cause some issues depending on what the pill is. If it is something common you could pull it out of the pixis, but not all the pills you need are in there, for an example some antibiotics or vitamins. In some cases some pills are tightly regulated and the pharmacy may only send out 7 or so pills at a time...attempt to reorder early and the med may not be sent out and then you have to spend 15 minutes on the phone trying to get the pharmacy to send out the medication. In some cases insurance will refuse to fill the medication. In that case you have to contact the DON to authorize a charge to the facility and then if you are out you have to order it stat it could take four hour to get the med. And this is not even mentioning the cost of some of these meds as some of these meds are expensive. Janumet is one example I can think up off the top of my head. I think it is about $7-8 a pill.

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Specializes in TNCC.

I work in LTC, and we have medication cards with our residents pills in them. If I do drop a pill, I waste it, and pop out another one. Same with narcs. If the patient drops it, I tell them I will go grab a new one, but usually they insist on taking it anyway. If they drop it on the floor I insist on getting a new one (ew!!!) but if it's on their bed/clothes/tray I don't make a fuss. Super easy to get a new pill, and no gross factor!

0 Votes
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
You shouldn't give a pill that's been dropped. It's technically a med error and a new pill should be given.

Dropping a pill is not a med error. Technically or otherwise. Oy....

I don't know about that, meanmaryjean.

Pills, sometimes- technically speaking- make an error in judgment.

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0 Votes
Specializes in Peds ED.

I think the 5 second rule is actually true- doesn't it take time for germs to adhere to a surface?

0 Votes
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