Meds returned to pharmacy from COVID patient rooms

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Wed, 04/08/2020 - 00:23
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Karen Thompson
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Joined: 05/03/2009 - 02:30
Meds returned to pharmacy from COVID patient rooms

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?
3. IVPB was dispensed for a COVID patient and taken into the room, but did not get used. IVPB is returned to pharmacy to be redispensed to another patient.

If you do allow for meds taken into a COVID patient room to be returned to pharmacy and reused, how do pharmacy staff know that the patient was COVID positive? Do you rely on nursing to labeled the product as such?

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