needing a prescription for vaseline??

1 So I was working overnight a few nights ago and one of my patients was complaining of her lips being dry and she really wanted some vaseline. I told her we have chapstick stocked on the floor, and asked if she would be ok with that. She said no, she hates chapstick, she really really needs vaseline. I have seen packets of petroleum jelly on various occasions in other patient's rooms and assumed all I needed to do was call our central supply. I call them and they said all have is lubricant jelly and maybe I should try to call pharmacy. I called pharmacy and they inform me that yes, indeed, they do have petroleum jelly and they will gladly tube some up to me IF I HAVE A DOCTOR'S ORDER FOR IT! I was floored. Since when is this considered a medication? It was about 1am and the patient of course had the grumpiest/most unpleasant doctor out of all of them and I was like "am I really going to call this guy at 1am for vaseline??". Thankfully another nurse needed to call him for something else but I just wanted to rant a little and say how stupid I thought this was. Anyone else find that they are made to get orders for things that should probably be a nursing judgment call? We are also required to get an order for heat packs...
Thats insane. I'm actually wondering if they do this so they can nickle & dime people and charge them for it.

Are you serious? I think maybe the pharmacy staff was watching TV and didn't want to get out of the chair so they gave you that line, hoping you'd go away.

heat- yes, need an order for that. always have in my facility. vaseline... wouldn't think so. We always had that as a stock floor item. I can see charging for it though.

Yup, we do too, and it is in our pyxis and we can't even override it! Same for vaseline guaze, always fun when you are putting in a chest tube and have to yell...get the order in! Chargeable items, who would have thought!

If push came to shove, I would have written a telephone order for it. It's not like you were trying to get nitro. I'd rather throw the dice at possibly getting dinged for writing the telephone order v calling a doc. at 0100 vaseline.

Vaseline should be stock and no order should be needed. PERIOD!!

Ours is in our medication omnicell, but you can take it out under the patient's name without an order. At hospitals I had clinical at, it was often kept with supplies like toothbrushes and socks.

My guess is that it is a charge item they cannot be reimbursed for without an order. No biggie, just get one. :shrug: The stuff isn't free and money doesn't grow on trees.

Think you need an order for petroleum jelly because it can interact with some wound care ointments. it is actually a medication.

Quote from OCNRN63If push came to shove, I would have written a telephone order for it. It's not like you were trying to get nitro. I'd rather throw the dice at possibly getting dinged for writing the telephone order v calling a doc. at 0100 vaseline.

Quote from Katie5I totally disagree about it being an order.But in response to your question, on the fluke side that maybe, just maybe your patient was allergic to something in vaseline and turned out bad. You WILL be in for a very rough ride.

We can override Vaseline but I can't get chap stick without an order, I guess they want their $1.00 for the chap stick!