The Pyxis System

BadBird, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2004

Hi, I am new to this site I am an emergency room RN. My question to all you ER nurses is have any of you ever had a problems with the pyxis system and discrepancies of narcotics?

I love the pixis system and no I have never had a problem with a narc. discrepancy.

NancyRN · Feb 11, 2004

I've never had a problem with discrepancies in Pyxis. I would love it, except I have little or no fingerprints, and so it takes me about 25 tries to get in. I've had the machine reset several times to no avail, and they won't just give me a password, they say we all have to use fingerprint...arrrgh!

RN-PA, RN · Feb 11, 2004

I'm not an ER nurse, but we're supposed to be getting the system sometime in the next few months-- I know very little about Pyxis, except what I've read here on allnurses. We all are looking forward to not counting narcs every shift, though, and HOPE it'll make our jobs a little easier.

RNKPCE · Feb 11, 2004

We've had the pyxis for years, got the fingerprint type in the last year. It is so much better than counting narcs each shift. There are still descrepancies at times but usually easily resolved more so than without a Pyxis type machine.

Just make sure you log out when you are done. Several years ago we had a nurse who was stealing drugs and one of her ways was to take drugs out under someone elses name if they left without logging off.

I don't work in ER but in the past year all our drugs are in the Pyxis. There have been some bumps in the road but overall it is okay.

MelissaRN · Feb 11, 2004

undefined I have a funny story about PYXIS discrepancies. The other night I was evidently tired because when I entered the amount of pills (Ativan) I entered 4 thinking 4 mg when in actuality I was only removing #2 2mg pills. It had showed up that we had two extra pills.

When my charge nurse and I had to go back in and resolve it there was an actual programed reason "entering dose instead of quantity". We got a chuckle at the fact that it had actually been done enough times to require a programmed reason. We expected to have to hit other and type the reason.

oramar · Feb 11, 2004

I love not having to count narcs. However, I have one recurring mistake I make. When I do incorrect count and the machine says, "the count is in error, do you want to continue?" I have a tendency to misunderstand the question and hit "YES". Just remember the answer is "NO" when all you want to do is recount and enter new count.

unknown99, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2004

The Pyxis is real nice for our medical floor, but I notice when I float to same day care, there is more problems with it not wanting to let the user get the meds out that are needed.

Baltimore Nurse · Feb 13, 2004

I love the pyxis it is wonderful... If you find that your department is having problems with the pyxis you should colaborate with the pharmacy to add or subtract options from the pyxis to make it work for your department. I love it... especially compared to the locked medication carts. I am so glad those days are over!

JACALA_CL · Feb 13, 2004

pyxis is great! no more paging overhead "keys to the medroom". even though pharmacy fillls the pyxis, the nurses do monthly narc counts just to ensure the counts are even and that no one is samling from the cookie jar

kyti · Feb 13, 2004

I've never had a problem with discrepancies in Pyxis. I would love it, except I have little or no fingerprints, and so it takes me about 25 tries to get in. I've had the machine reset several times to no avail, and they won't just give me a password, they say we all have to use fingerprint...arrrgh!

I have the same problem, but if I put a little lotion on my fingertip it plumps up my fingerprint and no problem :)