Hey all,
Wondering if anyone is using or considering use of MRidium (MRI compatible) pumps with remotes in covid19 patients. We are exploring the idea in our icu to minimize PPE use and exposure without extended tubing. Any successes or issues encountered?

We also realized in our exploration that the tubing is only approved for use for 6 hours. Have anyone addressed that issue, if you are using?

Thanks!
Allison

Allison Pollock, PharmD
UCSF Medical Center
Medication Safety Specialist

we are considering Andexxa for formulary addition with restrictions. what are your experiences with Andexxa, do you have both Kcentra as well and how does your institution select qualified patients? adverse events? cost containment? thanks in advance for any insights.

How do you help to ensure that certain medications do not find their way into your ADCs? How often do you monitor?

Example: I do monitor for fentaNYL patches in our EDs and procedural areas. This works well, and only a small group of technicians add medications to the machines. One that we have had difficulty slipping through the cracks is haloperidol decanoate making it's way onto a psychiatric unit as stock rather than being sent patient-specific each time.

I am curious if any of you would share with me what is on your lists for time-critical scheduled medications? (30 min on either side of administration time) I did a quick search of this topic on the MSOS forum and have seen answers circa 2014-2018. I am wondering if answers have changed since then? I am told DNV surveyors look for this policy specifically, for evidence that we are adherent. Particularly interested in similar academic hospitals’ lists.

Thank you,

Sarah Durham
Medication Safety and Regulatory Pharmacist
University of Missouri Healthcare System

Hi everyone,

Our institution is re-evaluating extending the hang time of continuous infusions to accommodate COVID patients and reduce the amount of times the nurse has to enter in the room. We have not found much stability information to extend vecuronium infusion past 24 hours, which would be preferred since vecuronium is on shortage.

Does anyone have any data or experience extending out the stability time?

Thank you!

Does anyone able to share stability information for denatonium benzoate in the sodium chloride and sterile water solution (Bitrex) compound?

Thank you

At my organization we have run into issues and are looking into putting a policy in place for how to handle patient own medications that are brought into the hospital that are packaged by companies such as Amazon PillPack. These medications are packaged by date and time and usually include the number of medications, name, and dose.

Overall, we limit the use of patient own medication to specific circumstances where the pharmacy is not able to procure the medication (or until the pharmacy can procure the medication) or if the patient requires a specific brand of medication.

Apologies if its already discussed. In our hospital the pharmacists are going to patient bedside (non- COVID positive) with discharge medications and for counseling. currently we are considering every patient as COVID suspected patient in our hospital, hence the pharmacist are wearing PPEs (gown, mask and gloves) before going to the pt. room. Some organizations have suspended their “meds-to-beds” programs or
are counseling patients by phone. How its done in your organizations?

Thanks,
Saharish

Does anyone have a good process in place for the following scenarios?
1. Albuterol MDI was dispensed for a COVID patient and taken into the room, but did not get used. MDI is returned to pharmacy to be redispensed to another patient. (We dispense our MDIs in a heat-sealed plastic bag)
2. COVID patient brought their own albuterol MDI from home and would like to use it during their admission. How does your RPh check the product without being exposed?

We are trying to conserve some of our IV medications. Did anyone already extended their infusion times for continuous infusions to 48/72/96 hours? I would greatly appreciate if anyone is willing to share their current policies.