Throwing out Med Bottles, What else can I do?

[WVStarFish]

After sitting for almost an hour using a sharpie to black out names on pharmacy bottles, I'm wondering if there is a better way to dispose of patients medicine bottles with their names on them.

Where I work, I only deal with their bottles, and the labels with names are tightly bound to the bottles. What else can I do besides spend valuable time coloring?

There is no company policy and this is how the previous nurse did it. Every day, I have tons of them to dispose of and I need a better way! I used to work in a nursing home and I remember just throwing out the packages meds came in, not bothering to black out names. That's how they did it there, but here is no policy.

HELP!!! and thanks! :)

[greenfiremajick]

After sitting for almost an hour using a sharpie to black out names on pharmacy bottles, I'm wondering if there is a better way to dispose of patients medicine bottles with their names on them.

Where I work, I only deal with their bottles, and the labels with names are tightly bound to the bottles. What else can I do besides spend valuable time coloring?

There is no company policy and this is how the previous nurse did it. Every day, I have tons of them to dispose of and I need a better way! I used to work in a nursing home and I remember just throwing out the packages meds came in, not bothering to black out names. That's how they did it there, but here is no policy.

HELP!!! and thanks! :)

Maybe use some paper dissolving liquid and putting all bottles into a tub. Or possibly filling a large tub with dye, so that it envelops and covers all info on the labels. Then you could dump all bottles into tub, then come and clean them out later...Of course you'd have to look at how/where you could legally dump the dye and bottles.....

But with any of the new methods I can think of, it will cost you, or the facility, money.........

Actually, if left for a while, hot water may dissolve the labels and make them illegible...Drain cleaner would work, but that's pretty caustic stuff.............

A dremel tool is noisy, but could be much faster............

employing the aid of super ninja guinea pigs secretly stashed under the desk would work as well, though they will require water and a place to poop.................and they squeal......

[morte, LPN, LVN]

.....and the sharpie isnt doing the job anyway....if you tilt the bottle the right way, i betcha you can still read the names.....hot water would be my thought.....

[Deb123j]

Alcohol pads work well! Just rub over the name and it will come off.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Depends on your label. Most label inks are "waterproof" for logical reasons.

For my mothers med bottles, I have found a way to peel off the labels most of the time and then, I stick the labels on a piece of paper and shred the paper.

[RobCPhT]

You can slap a colored sticker over it. Such as common ones found at Staples.

[mamamerlee, LPN]

Use your scissors and scrap or cut out the name. Just be careful. And why can't a clerk or an aide do this? Even a volunteer?

[nursesaurus]

"employing the aid of super ninja guinea pigs secretly stashed under the desk would work as well, though they will require water and a place to poop.................and they squeal...... "

lol

[sharpeimom]

"employing the aid of super ninja guinea pigs secretly stashed under the desk would work as well, though they will require water and a place to poop.................and they squeal...... "

lol

you could borrow our dog. he's never had guinea pig poop, but just loves cat poop, sad to say...

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

[woman_king]

My cat eats paper, including my homework when I forget to put it away overnight. Then she barfs all over whatever remains.

That should obliterate the patient names quite nicely. You can have her.

[sharpeimom]

my cat eats paper, including my homework when i forget to put it away overnight. then she barfs all over whatever remains.

that should obliterate the patient names quite nicely. you can have her.

hmm... we have nine hair ball prone cats too. three are 1/2 persian. we'll have to work out a schedule

so each cat still has some free lap time and hair ball yakking time.

kathy

shar pei mom:paw::paw:

[JoMark06]

employing the aid of super ninja guinea pigs secretly stashed under the desk would work as well, though they will require water and a place to poop.................and they squeal......

THANK YOU!!!! I needed a good laugh tonight!

The initial question stated there is no policy for this and that this is the way the previous nurse did it. Have you asked your supervisor what is expected?