War against the nursing staff.

[pharmasaur]

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Only the ER has a Pyxis for now. Everywhere else the narcotics are dispensed as floor stock and locked in a safe on the unit.

danggg

ghetto

 

[PharmDstudent]

My new issue with them is narcotics. Instead of ordering a large stock of narcotics while the narcotic pharmacist is here, they end up ordering it only when they need it, which usually ends up being while the other pharmacist is on break or I'm making an IV or something.

I don't get this, why not order your 50 Percocets at 9AM and keep them up there instead of coming down at 730PM for it. Then the remote times that someone does order a large stock of narcotics in the morning, the nurse who comes around to pick up her one narcotic order that she ordered 10 minute ago refuses to take the rest of them up.

How often do your pharmacy techs 'go on rounds'? I would hope that they go hourly if you don't have Pyxis throughout the hospital.

 

[Sparda29]

How often do your pharmacy techs 'go on rounds'? I would hope that they go hourly if you don't have Pyxis throughout the hospital.

Rounds? For what, delivering medications? Never. The hospital transporter team has one designated messenger for meds/labs/blood work who comes by every 30 minutes. Narcotics cannot be transported this way, they have to be picked up from the pharmacy window by the RN or in extreme circumstances, the RPh takes it up to the floor and gives it to an RN.

 

[kvl1027]

That is because it does. This is why their patients are denoted as 'critically ill". When I write for levophed and vasopressin I damn well expect them to come up before the cipro on the asymptomatic UTI 80 year old on the floor. If they are calling you because their pts plavix is missing then you have a valid point. But in general, my nurses are calling down because the drips are not coming fast enough or they come back from the pixus saying 'they havent restocked the ketamine and the Roc, keep bagging for now".

You are completely right. However, there is just a complete disconnect between perceived reality and actually reality when it comes to everyone's jobs and the stresses associated. I understand when a stat levophed drip is ordered it is very much a "now" situation, but unfortunately with pharmacy being an ancillary service it is often the first department with staffing cuts. And while a nurse might be responsible for 2 patients, 1 pharmacist and 1 tech are responsible for every patient in the hospital and it can be very overwhelming.

Everyone knows that nursing is important, it is well documented and generally accepted. But, there are just not enough advocates for pharmacy services to keep us properly staffed so that patient care is not hindered. Until then, there will always be pyxis stocking issues and late meds.