Advisability of Writing on Patches
For a number of reasons, it may be helpful to write on a patch after it is applied to the patient. For example, some TDDS products are formulated as a clear patch so they are less noticeable, which is an attractive feature for patients but might make it difficult to locate the patch on the skin;[2] for patients with multiple care-givers, this may pose a safety concern. Practitioners may find it helpful to mark the patch with a pen or marker to make it more noticeable to other caregivers. Additionally, writing on a patch is a common method of conveying the date of placement to various members of the health care team or reminding the patient when the patch should be discarded. Moreover, many patches are not imprinted with the medication name or dosage, and writing this information on the patch can be helpful for caregivers and patients.
Most manufacturers recommend against writing on patches due to insufficient data on the practice. There are no relevant safety reports in the literature; however, the act of writing on the patch could theoretically damage or tear it. Moreover, if ink is used, it may leach through and come into contact with the medication, and it is not known whether ink might interact with a given medication or impede its delivery. When the manufacturer recommends against writing on a patch, one alternative is to place medical tape displaying the desired information on the patient's skin in close proximity to the TDDS.
Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2012;69(2):116-124. © 2012 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc.
All rights reserved. Posted with permission.
Comments