Medication management is a process. Every center has their own way of managing this process whether it is manual, electronic or a combination, however, it is not a perfect process no matter how we do it. Sadly, 7,000 to 9,000 people die every year due to medication errors. Per the National Library of Medicine, the most common reasons for errors …
§483.12 “Each resident has the right to be free from abuse, neglect, misappropriation of resident property and exploitation… [Another example of] misappropriation of resident property is the diversion of a resident’s medication(s), including, but not limited to, controlled substances for staff use or personal gain.” Opioid Stewardship Implication: Drug diversion constitutes misappropriation of resident property. As controlled substances, opioids are …
A long-standing debate continues to brew around the country, do we perform dexascans on elderly patients and if so, do we treat a diagnosis of osteoporosis aggressively? I’m not sure there is an answer that meets every situation but it does raise the question, what impact would treatment have on outcomes? Elderly females are a higher risk for hip fractures …
We talked about statins a few years ago, however, there is new evidence that suggests the use of statins might not be the best treatment for everyone with elevated cholesterol levels. It goes without saying that anyone with a history of cardiovascular disease and elevated LDL levels would likely benefit from statins, however, a recent study looked at whether patients …
Accurate medication lists are difficult to maintain especially when a resident is admitted and discharged several times. It seems that each physician treating a patient has their own idea on what medications work best and which should be discontinued. At the end of the day, nurses are faced with the challenge of determining what is really current and what has …
Instructions on insulin vials or pens indicate that they should be stored, unopened, at temperatures of 35.6° F-46.4°F. Once the vial or pen is opened/punctured the insulin can be stored at room temperature 77°F-86°F for up to 28 days. As we hear more and more about social inequities, researchers took it upon themselves to determine how safe insulin would be …
