Our Trust has a new device which measures the temperatures of medicines inside our fridges instead of just the air temperature inside them.
Karen Guy has the job of fitting them into 140 fridges across the Trust and she stresses the importance of getting medicines storage right.
She has reissued this reminder to everyone across the Trust:
It is expected that medicines which require refrigeration are stored safely within the correct temperature range at Ward/Departmental level and the products are fit for purpose.
If you are a Ward/Departmental Manager who has a medicines refrigerator in your clinical area you must ensure that the refrigerator used and the products stored within it are fit for purpose. The refrigerator must be equipped with a specific calibrated and alarmed temperature monitoring device and you must ensure that a trained person records the actual, minimum and maximum temperatures every 24 hours. The correct temperature range for medicines that require refrigeration is 2oC - 8oC.
If you are the person who has been delegated the task of checking medicines refrigerator temperatures you must be aware of exactly:
- how to undertake the monitoring
- what action to take should the recordings be out of range
We would never knowingly incorrectly store and administer a medicine to patient that would cause harm. We would always check the medication packaging including the expiry date. In turn we should be quickly checking the medicines refrigerator each time we need to select a product from it in order to ensure the product is suitable for use. In just a few second you can check if:
- the current temperature is within the 2oC - 8oC range
- it feels too warm or too cold when the door is opened
- it iced up
- it too full
Opening and closing the refrigerator door can very quickly cause significant temperature fluctuations making maintaining the internal temperature difficult. There is a risk that products could freeze if they come into contact with the chiller plate or coil at the back of your refrigerator. It is also imperative that you do not overstock your medicines refrigerator as air will not be able to circulate freely between products.
In receiving a delivery, you must store the products on the shelves in an orderly fashion to ensure air circulation and consistent temperatures throughout. Stock must be subject to effective rotation based on first expiry, first out. You must not assume that the most recent delivery will have a longer expiry period. Medicines refrigerators must be locked when not in use and must be cleaned regularly as part of a general cleaning rota.
The Trust has a new device to help us keep track on the temperatures of our medicines. A probe which is sealed in a miniature bottle sits inside the refrigerator. This is attached via a wire to a digital display unit. The new device measures the temperature of the product rather than the air temperature. The photo shows our Lead Nurse, Medicines Management, Karen Guy, fitting medicine refrigerator temperature monitoring device number 117 - only 22 more to fit!
Please contact Karen Guy CRH ext 3207 or the Pharmacy Department: CRH ext 4218 HRI ext 2422
There are strict procedures to follow in the event of medicines refrigerator failure/suspected medicines refrigerator failure: