Pharmacy-nursing report form used to monitor and adjust schedules of large volume parenteral solutions.

The use of an i.v. report form to regularly monitor and adjust the schedules of large volume parenteral solutions and irrigations is discussed. The departments of pharmaceutical services and nursing instituted a program that allowed both departments to compare the schedules of large volume parenterals and irrigations for each shift. This program centers around the use of an i.v. report form, for which clinical nurses record information concerning the progress of i.v. fluids and irrigations. The completed report is forwarded to the pharmacy, where pharmacy personnel use the information to continually update i.v. therapy profiles and adjust the administration schedules of subsequent solutions. Pharmacy's review of the i.v. report form allows the pharmacist to use his/her clinical judgment concerning the appropriateness of therapy and provides an opportunity to prevent and observe medication errors. Although this system has not be formally compared to other systems, it appears that an i.v. report system is an effective means of communication between pharmacy and nursing departments.