Don't Rush to Crush
Included in the Pharmacy Board of Australia’s list of essential references for pharmacy practice, SHPA’s Don't Rush to Crush is Australia’s essential guide to safely administering oral medicines to people with enteral feeding tubes or swallowing difficulties. When giving tablets, capsules or oral liquids to these patients, healthcare professionals need answers to these questions:
- Can I crush it?
- Can I disperse it?
- Can I open the capsule?
- Is this liquid medicine suitable for my patient?
- Can I give the injection orally?
- How do I give a dose that is less than a whole tablet or capsule?
The answers are available in Don’t Rush to Crush.
Order Don't Rush to Crush →
With every monograph comprehensively reviewed, the latest 4th edition includes more than 580 oral medicines with 40 new medicines as well as:
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new information about the thickness of oral liquid medicines and their suitability for people with swallowing difficulties – more than 100 oral liquid medicines have been assessed against the International Dyshagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework
- a new section about gastrointestinal dysfunction that provides guidance for giving medicines to people who have undergone gastrointestinal surgery, or who have altered gastrointestinal function.
Don’t Rush to Crush 4th edition is available in the SHPA Bookshop or online through eMIMS, MIMS Online (1800 800 629) and AusDI (1300 118 120).
Expressions of Interest are now closed
The SHPA Publications team is about to commence work on updating Don’t Rush to Crush. We are seeking expressions of interest from members for:
- Membership of the Editorial Committee
- Reviewers
- Assistance with dispersion testing
Find out more, or apply here.
Informed by evidence
Access the full report of our study – Swallowing safety of oral liquid medicines; assessment using the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) framework published in the Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research (JPPR).
Unsure of how to use Don’t Rush to Crush?
Check our SHPA's free ‘Don’t Rush to Crush’ video, customised for Australian healthcare settings and including handy hints and updates to help you get the most out of this frontline resource.
Updates
Don’t Rush to Crush is updated quarterly. View and print updated and new medicine monographs.
Resources for patients and carers
The 4th edition of Don’t Rush to Crush now includes two patient information leaflets and a guide for nurses on preparing medicines using ENFit systems.
How to give your medicines by enteral tube >
Information to assist patients discharged with enteral feeding tubes. Provides useful information and easy-to-follow instructions for administering medications through an enteral tube.
How to prepare your medicines if you have difficulty swallowing
Useful information and easy-to-follow instructions for preparing and taking medicines for people with swallowing difficulties.
Preparing and giving medicine using ENFit® >
Useful information and step-by-step instructions to help measure and give liquid medicines using ENFit® in the inpatient setting. Provided by GESDA, ISMP and ASPEN.
Feedback
SHPA welcomes feedback from pharmacists and nurses who use the Don’t Rush to Crush Handbook about improvements in content and/or usability. Please send your feedback to publications@shpa.org.au.