During a recent survey conducted in Labor & Delivery, the surveyor wanted them to treat breast milk as a medication. As a result, the nurse manager asked about adding a specific refrigerator connected to Pyxis for this purpose. Is this a step we should take? Do you treat breast milk as a medication?
Do You Treat Breast Milk as Medication?
We believe the surveyor may have mis-stated their advice, or their advice was misinterpreted. Human breast milk is not a medication. In addition, it should not be stored with medications largely because their temperature parameters are different.
Most states require breast milk to be stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of 39ºF or less. Medications require refrigeration at a temperature of 36-46 degrees. The measures that hospitals use to manage safe storage of medications such as a PYXIS, individualized storage cubicles, automated temperature monitoring, bar coding, and more, are all great concepts for human milk storage, but not commingling.
We often reference the Le Leche League guidelines found here.
Patton Healthcare Consulting
Patton Healthcare Consulting provides a complete range of Joint Commission and CMS Compliance Assistance and a full range of pre-survey and post survey services.
We serve more than 350 hospitals, behavioral health care organizations, ambulatory clinics and home care companies nationwide—hospitals ranging from critical access hospitals to the largest health systems. Contact us at (888) PHC-INC1 for more information.
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