Forms
These are supplies utilized in drug administration
Medicine cup, pill crusher, pill cutter, ampules, vials, syringes, needles, safety devices
These are medication errors
WRONG: patient, drug, route, time, dose/amount, documentation, and technique
This is important with the right time
For maximum effectiveness, drugs must be given on a prescribed schedule
Physician’s order specifies the number of times per day that the medicine is to be administered
Intervals: Before or after meals or Hour of sleep
These are the 6 parts in the medication order
Date & time the order was taken
Patient’s name
Medication name
Dosage or amount of medication
Route or manner of administration (e.g., oral, subcutaneous, etc.)
Time to be administered, or frequency
Directions for use
This is important with the right documentation
Every medication given must be recorded on the patient’s record
Dose, time, route, and location of injections
Unusual or adverse patient reactions
PRN basis- include a note on the effectiveness
Administrator signature
Narcotics administered
These are routes of the drug intake
IM, IV, topical, oral, rectal, and SQ, implantable, sandwiched, and inhaled
These are types of syringes
Pre-filled syringes, oral, syringes (for needles)
This is patient education in relation to drug administration
Emphasize the importance of taking medications in the proper dosage, on time, and in the proper way
Written and verbal instructions in known language
Return demo if extra equipment+/or multiple steps to administer
This is important with the right amount
uExtremely important
Drug dosage ordered must be compared very carefully with the dose listed on the label of the package, bottle, or unit-dose packet
Consult a table of equivalents if necessary, to convert from one system to another
Calculations must be checked by another trained health care practitioner
These are systems of measurement
Apothecary system, Metric system (L, m, g), and Household system (Qt, oz, tbsp, tsp)
This is the rule with medication orders and physicians
•Medication orders must always be written and signed by a physician
In an emergency the physician may give a verbal order (VO)
Must read back and confirm the med & dose of the order before administration, and write down medication, amount, and time of administration as soon as it is given
MD will sign the order after the emergency
These are examples of rectal forms
suppository and enemas
These are topical forms-Mucosal Membrane
Eye, ear, and nose drops, Vaginal creams and douche solutions, Rectal and vaginal suppositories, Buccal tablets and sublingual tablets
This is the role of the MA in drug administration
Up-to-date, judgement, assess/evaluate/plan, skills and delivery, and patient education, and ethical/legal responsibility
!Check for completeness of the medication order!
This is important with the right medicine
Compare the name of the drug prescribed with the label on the package, bottle, or unit-dose packet
Never give medication when the name of the medication is obscured in any way
Check the correct dosage form
Never give medications that someone else has prepared
Never leave medications in the room unless specifically ordered by the doctor
Conversion of 1tsp to mL
1tsp=5mL
Telephone Orders
Always determine the policy of the agency before taking a telephone order (TO)
Some agencies require a registered nurse
Always obtain the name of the person calling in the order and write it down, as well as the time next to the med ordered
Repeat all of the details regarding the medication, dosage, frequency, etc.
Physician must sign all verbal and telephone orders within 24 hours in most cases
These are examples of injectable drug forms
Liquid and powder, Intravenous and intramuscular, Subcutaneous, intradermal, and epidural, Intraosseous, intraventricular, intraspinal, and intracapsular
This is medication reconciliation
Method used to compare what the patient is taking to what the patient’s physician ordered
Performed every time there is a change in the patient’s care
These are the 7 rights of medication administration
uRight medication
uRight amount/dosage
Right time
Right route
Right patient
Right documentation
Right Technique
This is important with the right patient
Identify the patient by use of certain techniques to reduce the chance of error before administration
Wrist identification band
Call or ask patient to state their name
Date of birth in ambulatory care setting
If a patient questions med or dose, recheck the order and med
Conversion of 1 oz to mL
1oz=30mL
Prescriptions are typed into the system, printed out and signed or sent directly to the pharmacy (e-prescribing or eRx)
Administered medication can be ordered using electronic medication administration record (eMAR)
These are examples of topical forms-Dermal applications
Creams, ointments, lotions, and liniments, Transdermal patches, Ointments and eye ointments
These are the 5 steps in medication reconciliation (per the Joint Commission)
Develop a list of current medications
Develop a list of medications to be prescribed
Compare the medications on the two lists
Make clinical decisions based on the comparison
Communicate the new list to appropriate caregivers and to the patient
This is the role of an MA with medication errors
If a mistake is made, report it immediately so corrective action can be taken for the welfare of the patient.
File an incident report as a legal requirement
Report ALL medication errors (even ones that do not harm patients)
This monitors and categorizes medication errors. Also publishes a list of problematic abbreviations
Institute for Safe Medication Practice (ISMP)
Conversion of 1Tbsp=tsp
1Tbsp=3tsp
Conversion of 1 lb to kg
1 pound = 2.2 kilograms