RESUMO
Iatrogenic harm from crushing oral drugs, a common but hazardous practice, can be largely avoided by following recommendations for good practice. The aims of this study were to evaluate the frequency of tablet crushing and opening capsules in hospitals and to compare the nursing practices with national recommendations. From 46 health facilities in Auvergne, 1110 nurses answered an anonymous self-completed questionnaire between September and November 2014 regarding general medication issues, prescription, preparation and administration of crushed medications. Crushing tablets or opening capsules was reported as a daily practice for 28% (increasing to 67% in geriatric units). While most best practice recommendations were followed by most nurses, scope for improvement remained: pharmacists were rarely contacted, rationales for change of medication formulation were seldom recorded in patients' files and medications were often crushed and administered together, risking drug interactions. Study data were used to inform recommendations for practice improvement. As findings bear similarities to those from other countries, this may be a widespread issue and study recommendations may be widely relevant. Practice will be reviewed again once practice improvement has been completed.
