Wasting controlled substances

[lrj2012]

I have been a LPN for 4 years and very recently started a new position at a nursing home in Ohio. When a resident has an order to take, say 1/2 tab of Percocet or other controlled substance, the facility instructed us, if pills were whole tabs, to split the pill in half and to tape the unused portion back into the blister pack, instead of wasting it with another nurse as witness!!! I have never seen this done at any other facility so it was a quite a shock! This would also give any nurse the opportunity to take it and replace it with whatever else looks similiar, if anyone was inclined to do so! I don't want to jeopordize my license, or have anyone else take this chance either. 'I am not sure what to do, find another job asap, report them, etc? Please any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.

[RLtinker, LPN]

I have seen this done, but state wound not approve of this practice or at least that is the case here in Indiana. The pharmacy should have sent half tabs, this is a med error waiting to happen. As for switching out percocet with some other med this is also a possibility and why state will tag a facility for doing this. The extra half should be destroyed with another nurse as a witness.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

When I worked in the LTC/nursing home setting, the remote pharmacy sent narcotics in pre-cut half-tabs if a provider ordered them to be administered that way.

No facility where I've previously worked would allow nursing staff to save unused half-tabs of a controlled substance for later use.

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

I have seen this done, but state wound not approve of this practice or at least that is the case here in Indiana. The pharmacy should have sent half tabs, this is a med error waiting to happen. As for switching out percocet with some other med this is also a possibility and why state will tag a facility for doing this. The extra half should be destroyed with another nurse as a witness.

Poor practice,

technically outside scope of nursing, to return to blister pac, with original strength indicated

trust me, bad practice