Alcohol in the hospital setting

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Thu, 07/07/2016 - 15:20
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Julie Botsford
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Alcohol in the hospital setting

We are curious how others are handling alcohol for PREVENTION of withdrawal in the hospital.

Do you allow this practice?
Who supplies beer, wine, spirits? ( in our institution currently beer and wine are handled by dietary, hard liquor by pharmacy.)
Do you document on the MAR and treat it like a drug, or as a food? Is it stored in the med room fridge or in the pantry?
How do you know the proper dose? Do you monitor for signs of withdrawal in these patients?

Our alcohol withdrawal protocol is emphatic as is the literature that we should not be using alcohol for treating withdrawal, but we allow it for the prevention. It's a slippery slope and I'm hoping others out there may have some helpful advice.

Julie Botsford, PharmD, CPPS
Munson Medical Center
Traverse City, Michigan. 49684

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