Authors (including presenting author) :
Lo TF(1), Wu CM(1), Chung WK(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Ward E3, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, Hospital Authority
Introduction :
Self-financed drugs mean medications which are not covered by the usual fees and charges in the Hospital Authority (HA). Patients need to bring their own medications or purchase them in the HA pharmacy if they are hospitalized. The self-financed drugs are usually expensive and they are the important properties of the patients. In the acute medical wards, many patients are ADL-dependent and they do not have the ability to handle their self-financed medications by themselves. The ward would be responsible for stocking those medications. Hence, it is important to establish a standardized and safe method to record the exact number or dosage of the collected medications.
After noticing the ADL-dependent patients’ medication list for which consist of self-financed drugs, the team nurses would immediately collect them from the patients and count the quantity or dosage of the medications, then document clearly in the Kardex afterwards. When the patient is going to be discharged, the medications would be returned to the patients and the number of remaining quantity or dosage would be recorded in the Kardex.
Objectives :
Objectives:
1. Every transaction of the self-financed drugs would be clearly recorded in a standardized paper sheet.
2. There is no discrepancy between the collected medications, medications used during the hospitalization period and the remaining medications before the patients can be discharged.
3. To minimize any arguments between the ward staff and the patients on the quantities kept by the ward
Methodology :
1. Design of a standardized paper sheet for recording self-financed medications was suggested and used
2. The validated version of the paper sheet would be promoted to other wards within department of medicine
3. Regular review of the template was necessary with the advices of frontline nursing staff
Result & Outcome :
1. The standardized paper sheet would be firstly prepared by an APN after seeking suggestions from every nursing staff
2. Advices would be sought from the ward manager and the Q&S team.
3. After confirming the content and format of the paper sheet, a briefing session would be arranged for all frontline nursing staff
4. The information of the’ SFI Drug Record’ will be documented in the patients’ records upon the transferal of patient to other departments / hospitals.
5. The number of cases reported for discrepancy of self-financed medications was minimize from about 4 per year to zero per year
6. The staff can trace the record of the patients’ SFI medication easily with good documentation
