Hello all,

I hope this message finds you all safe and healthy. I am reaching in hopes of learning what institutions are doing.

At our institution, if a person is not a registered patient, we are not to dispense nor administer medications (including pulling from ADC) when responding to Code Blue or Rapid Response calls. (Just as a side note, most things are called Code Blues for non-patients even if not, but in an effort to get respondents there). For these instances, respondents are directed to call 911 or get the patient transported to the ED (depending upon location on the campus). This includes staff and students and visitors.

There have been mixed feelings regarding this. We have received several incident reports from Internal Medicine residents that have responded to scenarios where they felt they should have been provided meds to have admininistered. For example, a nurse has a seizure. The residents wants Ativan (which adds the controlled substance layer as well). The pharmacist refuses to pull because of current facility stance and because a controlled substance, and directs resident to get nurse to ED. IM resident very upset and that's understood. It was the same at my previous institution as well.

What do you do at your respective institutions?

Any thoughts/inputs are appreciated!

Thanks
Jameika Stuckey, PharmD, BCACP
Medication Safety Manager