To Crush or Not to crush Flashcards
For patients who can't swallow, can their medication be altered..
Acetazolamide MR
DO NOT CRUSH
Acetazolamide
Non MR?
Yeah go ahead and disperse this in water
Alendronate
LAST RESORT - crush and administer via NG/PEG tube if ESSENTIAL patient continues treatment
REMEMBER must be given on an EMPTY STOMACH - which means after 4 hour fast, and 30 minutes before any other medication or food
does the patient really need to be on this?
Maybe consider changing to strontium if for post menopausal osteoporosis
Alfuzosin MR
DO NOT CRUSH
change to non-MR
Alfuzosin
Non MR?
Yeah go ahead and disperse this in water
if changed from MR then 2.5mg TDS which can be crushed and dispersed in water
Allopurinol
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Alverine
Yeah go ahead - Capsule can be opened and dispersed in water
Aminophylline
NO
Change to equivalent dose of theophylline liquid - 60mg/5ml
Stop feed for 1 hour before an 2 hours after and monitor plasma levels of the drug
Amiodarone
Yeah go ahead and disperse this in water
Will not taste nice so can be mixed with fruit juice if NOT for enteral feeding tube
Amlodipine
Yeah go ahead and disperse this in water
NB to administer immediately as light sensitive
Anastrazole
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Atorvastatin
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
(not very soluble, therefore if given via enteral feeding tube make sure tube is flushed well after administration to avoid blockage)
Azathioprine
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
CYTOTOXIC - so remember to wear gloves, and dispose of container and clean up spillages as per cytotoxic guidelines
Bendroflumethiazide
Yeah go ahead and disperse this in water
Betahistine
Yeah go ahead and disperse this in water
Bezafibrate
Non-MR?
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Bezafibrate MR
DO NOT CRUSH
Bisoprolol
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
(not very soluble, therefore if given via enteral feeding tube make sure tube is flushed well after administration to avoid blockage)
Buspirone
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Cabergoline
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Calcium/Vitamin D3
If unable to chew CHANGE to Calfovit D3 sachets at equivalent dose
Candesartan
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Captopril
Yeah go ahead disperse in water
Carbimazole
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Carvedilol
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer (will form a suspension)
Celecoxib
DO NOT OPEN CAPSULES - will affect the stability of the drug
Chlordiazepoxide
Yeah go ahead open the capsule, mix with water and administer
Cinnarizine
Yeah go ahead, mix with water and administer
Ciprofloxacin
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
suspension is too think for enteral feeding tubes
Citalopram
DROPS AVAILABLE NB 8mg (4 drops) = 10 mg tablets
Mix with water before administering
Clindamycin
Yeah go ahead, open capsule, mix with water and administer
Clobazam
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
does not taste nice
Clonazepam
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with at least 30 mls of water and administer
Clopidogrl
Yeah go ahead disperse in water and administer (will take about 5 minutes to completely disperse)
Co-amilozide
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Co-beneldopa
DISPERSIBLE TABLETS AVIALABLE
Co-careldopa
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
consider changing to co-beneldopa dispersible tablets
Co-phenotrope
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Cyclizine
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Bitter taste
Cyproterone
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer
Dantrolene Capsules
Yeah go ahead, open the capsule, mix with ORANGE JUICE and administer - maintain the acidity
Demeclocyline
DO NOT OPEN CAPSULES
contents of the capsule do not disperse in water and may cause severe irritation to the mucosa
Digoxin
LIQUID FORMULATION AVAILABLE
NB bioavailablity different
62.5mcg tablet = 50 mcg liquid
Diltiazrm
OD MR and BD MR preparations should NOT BE CRUSHED
The 60mg MR TDS formulation is not slow released and CAN BE CRUSHED
Dipyridamole
SYRUP AVAILABLE
But yeah go ahead, open the capsule, mix with water and administer buy mouth NOT SUITABLE FOR ENTERAL FEED
DO NOT CRUSH TABLETS
Donepezil
Yeah go ahead, crush, mix with water and administer