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Medication Support · Episode 3
Saving Time
Kevin pours everyone's evening pills at three o'clock to get ahead of the rush.
Key takeawayDon't pre-pourPrepare medicine for one person right before you give it, and give only what you prepared yourself. Pouring ahead of time means nobody can check the pills, they can be mixed up or contaminated, and they may be given late. Never give medicine someone else poured. If pills were poured by mistake, ask the nurse how to dispose of them safely.
In this scene
Kevin: Evening meds, all poured at three. That's what I call getting ahead.
Nadia: Kevin, whose cup is the third one?
Kevin: That's... Gloria's. Or Eddie's. They all look the same now.
Watch the episode to see what happens next.
Questions to think about
- When should you prepare a person's medicine?
- Pre-poured pills are a problem because:
- Can you give medicine a coworker poured?
About this series
For direct support staff who help people with their medicine: the rights of medication, refusals, not pre-pouring, missed doses, medication errors, documenting, side effects, outings, locked storage and counts, and as-needed medicines. Follow your agency's medication policy, your nurse's instructions and your state's rules on who may give medication. See the whole series