(VIDEO) Medication safety in LTC, Part 3: Reducing narcotics to enhance safety
In Part 3 of The OMNIway’s video series on medication safety in long-term care, we hear about how homes work to eliminate administration of unnecessary prescription pharmaceuticals.
Administration of prescription medications classified as narcotics – also known as opioid pain relievers – is heavily scrutinized in long-term care homes, says Lynn Thompson, a registered nurse at Streamway Villa.
“We try to eliminate any medications we don’t feel are necessary,” Lynn says. “Some (residents) will come (to long-term care homes) on various narcotics that they don’t need. We can either reduce them, or we can try to (put them) on more long-lasting narcotics so they’re not taking them as often.”
Click here to watch the video.
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