b. Drug Strength. Normally, this is not required for combination drugs. Liquid
strengths are usually expressed in volume.
c. Manufacturer's Name. This is necessary in case of a drug recall and aids in
product identification.
d. Manufacturer's Lot Number. Again, this aids in identifying medications in a
recall situation.
e. Expiration Date. Use the expiration date discussed in paragraph 2-11h.
2-13. PACKAGING
The medication is then packaged utilizing the equipment available and following
local SOP. The unit dose package is now ready to be placed in the cassette for delivery
to the nursing unit.
Section IV. PREPARING THE CASSETTE
2-14. DESCRIPTION
At this point, the cassettes are prepared for delivery to the respective nursing
units. A cassette is a commercially manufactured device resembling a box, a rack, or a
tray (see figure 2-4). Each cassette contains drawers that are used to hold medications.
The number of cassettes delivered to a nursing unit will depend on the patient census
as well as the number of medications ordered. Each drawer is used to hold the
medications for a particular patient. More than one drawer may be used for a patient,
depending on the number of medications ordered for that patient. Normally, a cassette
contains enough medications to be administered over a 24-hour period.
2-15. FILLING DRAWERS
Ideally, the drawers are filled using patient medication profiles as guides. The
profiles should be grouped by nursing unit designation and further divided by room or
bed order. As each medication order is placed in the drawer, the profile is annotated
appropriately.
MD0811
2-10