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S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4
prescriber, nurses, pharmacists and anesthesia providers need to be aware
when dosing of weight-based drugs needs to be calculated. Nurses involved in
admissions should also be able to perform accurate conversions when patient
weight is stated in pounds, which is usually the case.
While reviewing drugs
to ensure in-date status, you notice
one marked "6/15." What date does that drug expire?
a.
June 30, 2015
b.
June 1, 2015
c.
June 15, 2015
Answer:
a
When the expiration date is stated as month/year, it is understood to mean that
the medication expires on the last day of that month. However, some drug com-
panies choose to put a "1" in front of the month and year (for example, "1 June
15"). That results in an outdate on the first day of the month. Place stickers on
boxes or mark the boxes directly with their expiration dates whenever feasible.
It's also a good idea to remind staff, particularly those with medication manage-
M E D I C A T I O N S A F E T Y
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
