Synopsis
Because the risks associated with TPN compounding are so significant, establishing and implementing policies and procedures to mitigate those risks is of vital importance.
Evaluating Your TPN Practices
Ensuring the safety of the TPN solutions administered to your patients is not a process that begins and ends with a review of your compounding procedures. Rather, an evaluation of all of your TPN practices must be conducted. Particular attention should be paid to:
Who assesses the need to start a patient on TPN?
Who evaluates and determines the nutritional requirements of the patient?
Are TPN orders customized, or are standard TPN solutions used?
How are the nutritional requirements converted to a TPN order?
Does the order form match the processes for compounding the prescriptions?
Does the TPN preparation method meet the patient’s needs?
How do QA processes aid the TPN process?
