To reduce the chance of selection errors that could lead to administration errors, keep the number of medications available on patient care units to a minimum. A reliable system for dispensing and delivering medications from the pharmacy will eliminate the need for many drugs to be stored on units. Only those few medications that are often needed quickly or in emergencies should be included in routine stock, and the supplies of those should be minimal.
Tips
- Review the medications each unit uses periodically to ensure that the stock items meet current needs.
- Customize the medication stock for the patient population on that unit.
- Ensure that staff members record all doses administered from the unit’s stock on the medication administration record to keep an accurate inventory.
