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-Patients requiring insulin should have it prescribed on the new inpatient adult diabetes care chart. Insulin should be prescribed in the section against the time it is due with regard to food eg a three times a day rapid acting insulin would be prescribed three times at breakfast, lunch and evening meal.

–It is essential that the patient’s prescribed insulin is also referenced by the prescriber on the normal adult prescription chart to mitigate the risk that the diabetes chart goes missing and the nurse is unaware the patient uses insulin eg write Lantus- see diabetes chart for dosage

-If a change needs to be made to insulin dosage the number of units can be crossed out and rewritten in the special allocated change box on the drug chart which should be signed and dated.

-All hypoglycaemic treatment needs to be recorded on the front of the drug chart.  If a patient requires glucagon or IV glucose this should be signed by a prescriber (NB in an emergency situation glucagon can be given and then prescribed retrospectively)

-The variable rate insulin sliding scale should now be recorded on the back of the diabetes care chart instead of on the current paperwork. There are continuation sheets available to be stuck on the back of the chart for each day of treatment.

–Please note all patients must continue on their long acting  (background) insulin at the same time as any sliding scale.