Isn't there some kind of measuring spoon they can give, with a hollow handle marked in ml? I was given one once.
Carleton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Daniel Sent: Saturday, September 17, 2005 11:52 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:34512] Re: hospital inpatient computer system eliminates non-metric units I'm just wondering if there has been any grumbling from some people about the strict use of metric units so far. It will also be interesting to see how it filters down through the pharmacy to the patients. If the pharmacist gets an electronic order for the label to tell the patient to use the medicine in 5 mL doses, will he.she take it upon themselves to convert that to teaspoons? What if a dosage is 3 mL or 8 mL and can't be easily converted into spoons? Dan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Trusten, R.Ph." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, 2005-09-17 11:37 Subject: [USMA:34509] Re: hospital inpatient computer system eliminates non-metric units > It isn't a matter of grumbling over forced metrication. I don't think too > many > providers will object to something that is truly obvious, and something > that > they do routinely anyway. They just don't do it 100% of the time. Now, > they > will. > > The tradition (or bad habit, if you will) of ordering oral liquid > medication > doses by the teaspoonful or tablespoonful is just that, a bad practice > that > needs to be eliminated. Many such medications ARE ordered by the > milliliter, > but household units persist in training and practice in U.S. healthcare. I > am a > proud witness to us moving one step closer to complete standardization of > measurement units in dosing. > > > Quoting Daniel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > >> Actually, it makes sense from a liability point of view. Drug dosages >> are >> defined based on the number of milligrams or millilitres per kilogram of >> body mass. Apothecary and household measures are not accurate enough to >> properly dose. So there is a chance of a patient getting the wrong >> amount >> of medicine and if found out the patient has the grounds to sue. >> >> If the hospital or pharmacy strictly sticks to SI units then they absolve >> themselves from dosing errors related to unit confusion. If a third >> party, >> or a patient decides to ignore the SI and takes it upon themselves to use >> their own units and they harm or kill themselves or others in the >> process, >> then they and they alone are at fault. >> >> Of course the patient or his/her next of kin may still try to sue, but >> they >> will find out that courts today are back charging those who initiate a >> frivolous or falsely accused lawsuit for all of the court and lawyer >> fees. >> >> There may have been a time when hospitals didn't care if they got sued >> over >> a measurement unit error because they just passed the loss onto future >> patients medical costs, but now it may become harder and harder to do. >> So >> now they have to pay more attention to such details. >> >> I'm just wondering though how many of the hospital staff is grumbling >> over >> this type of forced metrication? It sure would be interesting to see >> which >> ones adjust and which ones don't. >> >> Dan >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Paul Trusten, R.Ph." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >> Cc: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Saturday, 2005-09-17 10:36 >> Subject: [USMA:34507] hospital inpatient computer system eliminates >> non-metric units >> >> >> > Next month, my hospital, Midland Memorial Hospital, is adopting the >> > computer >> > software system used by the U.S. Department of Veterans affairs, called >> > the >> > Computerized Patient Record System(CPRS). This system supports >> > electronic >> > medication ordering, so, in the not-too-distant future, paper orders >> > and >> > handwriting will be a thing of the past (yay!). What I just learned, >> > however, >> > is that, in the process of entering an electronic medication order on >> > this >> > system, the prescriber will have a choice among METRIC UNITS ONLY. >> > There >> > will >> > be NO apothecary or household (teaspoonful tablespoonful)available, >> > i.e., >> > the >> > prescriber CANNOT enter apothecary or household units as part of a >> > medication >> > order. >> > >> > This change is a few centuries overdue. >> > >> > This is true for inpatient ordering. Our small outpatient pharmacy will >> > continue >> > to use other software for the time being, but at least we have >> > eliminated >> > WOMBAT >> > from inpatient matters. >> > >> > Paul Trusten, R.Ph. >> > Editor, "Metric Today" >> > U.S. Metric Association, Inc. >> > www.metric.org >> > 3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 >> > Midland TX 79707-2872 USA >> > [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> > >> > "There are two cardinal sins, from which all the others spring: >> > impatience >> > and >> > laziness." ---Franz Kafka >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > No virus found in this incoming message. >> > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. >> > Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.11.1/104 - Release Date: >> > 2005-09-16 >> > >> > >> >> > > > Paul Trusten, R.Ph. > Editor, "Metric Today" > U.S. Metric Association, Inc. > www.metric.org > 3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 > Midland TX 79707-2872 USA > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > "There are two cardinal sins, from which all the others spring: impatience > and > laziness." ---Franz Kafka > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.11.1/104 - Release Date: 2005-09-16 > >
