Oh the wonders of the flu season in today's ERs....
It seems that the antivirals that are given for the flu are in short supply. We are randomly giving out prescriptions for them. We also have them in our emergency room for individual doses we can give patients while they are there. So this weekend I had my first opportunity to give out a dose.
So I go to the pyxsis (drug dispensing machine). Put in my numbers, press my index finger down in the appropriate place (this is how we get out drugs in the modern day ER, we use our fingerprint. I wonder if I commit a crime if they can get my print from the pyxis people?) Choose the patient name. Choose the drug. Drawer opens. Compartment opens. Close drawer....oops drawer opens back up...whaaat....It seems that we are required to count the number of antiviral pills in order to shut the drawer. We have to do this with any narcotic we take out. Count it to make sure the number matches up with what the machine has and what we actually see. Drawer won't close til that happens. Machine beep, beeps if they don't match. Then we have to figure out why there is a discrepancy.
But we are doing this for antivirals???? What happens if they don't match? Am I taken away to a room where I am questioned about WHERE THE HELL IS THE MISSING ANTIVIRAL MISSY?? Am I drug tested to see if I have any antiviral in my urine? Am I fired for taking an antiviral? Will I lose my license? Will I have to appear before the nursing board? This is too much damned pressure.....what if one falls on the floor and I have to waste it? Does it have to be witnessed? Will I disappear and be sent to Guattanemo? After all a pandemic flu threatens national security... ER workers can't be trusted with the antivirals....just shoot me now.
6 comments:
We have to do the same thing for SL zofran. I suspect it was because they were being stolen by staff!
We have to do this with every drug. Probably adds an extra hour of work to my shift. Some of the drawers pharmacy loads with like 50 pills (not organized into neat little 10 pill grids) those don't get counted. The count that was there gets confirmed.
Doesn't the "five-second" law apply to pills? LOL
We have to do this for the Revatio we give our PH patients.
Folks mostly know it as Viagra.
I just found your blog and I love it. You are so funny. I work in a hopsital, but not as a nurse but as the social worker.
amen sister
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