A class action lawsuit has recently been filed against a hospital in Connecticut for allegedly reusing multidose insulin pens on multiple patients between 2008 and 2014. The disposable needles inside the pens were not reused. The multidose insulin pens are intended to provide multiple doses of insulin to a single patient.
The multidose insulin pens use a single use needle. The cartridge of insulin, which is held inside the multidose insulin pens, can be contaminated through the backflow of blood and skin cells. This backflow can potentially transmit blood-borne infections when used on multiple patients. The class action lawsuit claims that the multidose insulin pens were improperly used on thousands of patients.
The class action suit was filed after hospital officials sent a letter in 2014 to approximately 3,100 patients explaining that the multidose insulin pens ordered for patients hospitalized between September 2008 and May 2014 had been misused. The hospital did release a statement after learning of the class action lawsuit stating that their first priority was ensuring that people potentially exposed were notified, safe, and given the opportunity to be tested at the hospital’s expense. The hospital also emphasized that they acted transparently about the event and voluntarily disclosed what did occur to the individuals that potentially were affected.
The lawsuit is permitted to proceed as a class action that opens it up to at least 3,000 people.
Issue
It is extremely critical that staff are trained on all new equipment that is introduced within a facility. In addition to training, competency on equipment use should be evaluated for any staff that may be utilizing the new equipment. In addition to the trainings and competency evaluation for new equipment, training and competency evaluation should be conducted upon hire, and at a minimum, conduct annual competency evaluations for all equipment used within facilities.
Discussion:
- Review your policies and procedures for staff trainings and competency evaluations. Revise your policy as appropriate.
- Provide trainings on all equipment that is used within your facility. Trainings should be done upon initiation of new equipment, upon hire, and annually at a minimum. In addition to the training, competency on the use of equipment should also be evaluated. Document that the trainings and the competency evaluations occurred and place the documentation in the employee’s education file.
- Periodically audit to ensure that staff are following the correct procedures for the safe use of all equipment within your facility. Provide on time education if a discrepancy is noted between your procedure and the actual use of the equipment.
