Good morning,
What workflow to you use in your sites for DepoProvera, since it is considered a HD?
a. stock a pre-filled syringe; needle applied for admin with full PPE
b. stock a vial; dose prepped using a CSTD and appropriate PPE
c. other (please elaborate)

Thanks!
Stacie Ethington MSN, RN
Nebraska Medicine

I would like to seek your experience and your current practice of the "NPO" orders in the system we are a tertiary care hospital, and we are planning to modify the current NPO order in the system.
Can you share your current practice regarding the following:

-How is authorized to place the NPO order in the system?
-What is the default duration on the NPO order in the system?
-what do the default indication build in the system for the NPO order?

Thank you,
Zainab ALZuhair, RPH, MSc, BCNSP, CPPS
Medication Safety Specialist

We are reviewing patients own medication policy, given hospitals cannot take possession of patient's-controlled substance per the DEA, nor can specialty medications be utilized during hospital stay per insurance companies.

I see previous discussion of either topic, however, I would like to get updated feedback encompassing the above. I am requesting input if you would be willing to reply to the following:

1. Has any institution established policy to not allow any patients own medication, whether to dispense or simply store?

Hello Everyone,
Currently the health system I am at uses 3 different therapeutic heparin infusion protocols across different hospitals with 2 protocols using aPTT monitoring and 1 using Anti-Xa monitoring with aPTT for patients on DOACs prior to admission and other indicated patients.

HI All

I am just wondering about your policy/procedure for neonatal RSI meds, specifically midazolam and fentanyl, if you allow IV push undiluted or if you are diluting and administering via syringe pump. It seems as though IV push should be utilized given the emergent nature of the situation, but our neonatal nurses are thinking they are supposed to use the syringe pump.

Thanks, Katie

HI All

I am just wondering about your policy/procedure for neonatal RSI meds, specifically midazolam and fentanyl, if you allow IV push undiluted or if you are diluting and administering via syringe pump. It seems as though IV push should be utilized given the emergent nature of the situation, but our neonatal nurses are thinking they are supposed to use the syringe pump.

Thanks, Katie

Are you using actual body weight or adjusted body weight for calculating heparin infusion doses? Does it depend on indication? Thanks!

We have started to get many reports from nursing and anesthesia around issues involving coring of medication vials. So far there isn't a trend with a specific medication, but most reports have involved Pfizer products. Nursing has been using BD blunt tip needles for many years without issue. Reports of coring began about 2-3 weeks ago. Has anyone else experienced recent issues with this? Thanks!

I'm just wondering what other hospitals do for the preparation of allergenic extracts. I would assume the majority of hospitals leave it up to their allergy clinic. If there are any of you that use space in the pharmacy or cleanroom to prepare them, how do you handle them? We currently prepare them in our cleanroom for the allergy clinic but are considering finding alternative space to do. Thank you!

Good morning!
Our pediatric cardiologists are wanting to implement IV prostacyclin therapy and I wanted to see if anyone has a protocol they are willing to share for IV treprostinil or epoprostenol? Bonus points for peds hospitals and double bonus points if you have implemented this using BBraun infusion pumps. Any guidance or lessons learned in the implementation process would be much appreciated! Thank you!
Jordan Anderson, Driscoll Children's Hospital