O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 3 9
index, or those receiving
concurrent sedatives, are
at increased risk if given
an overdose or an incor-
rect dose. The manage-
ment of narcotics is
therefore a common
focus of quality improve-
ment initiatives.
Supplies and quantities
of narcotics and scheduled drugs must be secured and controlled in all settings,
either by 2 signatures from nurses or physicians at the beginning and end of the
day, or by the use of automated storage units.
Access to narcotics and
controlled drugs should
be limited to nurses, anes-
thesia providers and phar-
macists. Conduct a cor-
rect count at the begin-
ning and end of each sur-
gical day to document
that no drugs have been
stolen or lost. It's still pos-
sible for staff members to
chart the administration
of drugs, when in fact
they've pocketed the sub-
stances for personal
abuse. It's difficult to pre-
z MEDICATION MONITOR Limit access to
controlled substances and document their daily counts.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
