Provide Good Care, Save With Secondary Tubing

Primary tubing can be costly, and for good reason. With IV drugs that have a higher potential for adverse reactions, primary tubing prevents more medication from reaching the patient if the line needs to be shut off. But there is less concern with low-reaction drugs, and the difference in cost is $3.45. Over a year that can add up to $25,000. An Oregon nurse noted this, so her UBT opted to go with secondary tubing whenever primary tubing wasn't medically necessary. The team changed its habits and the switch took off. So did the team: it reached Level 4 on the Path to Performance.

Here's What Worked

• Looking for less expensive options, like switching from primary tubing to secondary tubing
• Using secondary instead of primary tubing for IV patients, whenever it is medically safe
• Working through the change so everyone on the team understands and adapts

What can your team do to make sure it's using the right supplies for the job? What else could your team do to keep KP affordable for patients and members?