We are having a challenge with sedating our ICU patients with COVID, running through precedex, propofol, midazolam, hydromorphone, depleted our supply of fentanyl. Are any facilities out there having success with alternative agents and willing to share I would greatly appreciate it.

Does anyone refill emergency medication kits for local ambulance services? Have you changed the way you handle the medications at all?

Historically we advise our staff to wear gloves when handling the boxes and their contents, but now with COVID we are wondering if that is enough.

To reduce the volume of patient contact and preserve PPE, we review medication profiles to consolidate administration time on a case by cases basis at this time.

We recently received an Epic recommendation as follows:

Bundle Medication Administrations and Other Tasks for Admitted Patients:

Hello Everyone,
How are your institutions handling multidose products such as antibiotic suspensions or bulk liquids dispensed to COVID-19 patients? My pediatric area has raised this concern to see if patient-specific dose syringes would be more appropriate for the bulk bottles of antibiotics or other liquids. I look forward to your feedback.
Thanks so much.

Cicely Williams, PharmD

Hello Everyone,
How are your institutions handling multidose products such as antibiotic suspensions or bulk liquids dispensed to COVID-19 patients? My pediatric area has raised this concern to see if patient-specific dose syringes would be more appropriate for the bulk bottles of antibiotics or other liquids. I look forward to your feedback.
Thanks so much.

Cicely Williams, PharmD

It is recommended by the manufacturer to replace propofol tubing every 12 hours. Due to the COVID-19 related drug shortages, I am wondering if any facility has found information that supports extending this time frame?

Thank you,

Jim Galasso

Hi, trying to find the best solution to minimize exposure to covid-19 and help the nursing as much as possible...what do you do? Do you ask nurses or staffs of the wards come to pharmacy to pick them up or do you deliver to them? The nurses probably would like them delivered but pharmacy staffs may be resistant to go to wards...

Hi,
We are interested to learn how others are managing medication storage in operating rooms used for COVID-19 + or suspected + patients.

Hi all -
I wanted to see what other institutions are doing in regards to administering chemotherapy:
1. Is nursing preference to run as a primary or secondary infusion?
2. Does nursing follow with administration of a flush? How much?
3. Any other insight for nursing practice?
I'd also like to know if your facility takes care of pediatrics.
Thanks-
Maria Cumpston
WVU Medicine
Morgantown, WV

Good morning and happy Friday! I would love to hear how organizations that do not have "med boxes" in the patient rooms are managing bulk items for isolation patients.

Appreciate any insight you can provide!