1. Chapter 7 Interpreting Drug Orders

2. Nursing Responsibilities • Interpret order • Prepare exact dosage of prescribed drug • Identify patient • Administer dosage by prescribed route at prescribed time intervals

3. Nursing Responsibilities • Educate patient regarding medication • Record administration of prescribed drug • Monitor patient’s response for desired and adverse effects

4. Medical Abbreviations • Used frequently with drug orders • Must commit to memory

5. Seven Parts of a Drug Order • Patient name • Name of drug • Dosage • Route of administration • Frequency, time, and special instructions • Date and time of order • Signature and licensure of person writing order

6. Caution • If any parts of order missing or unclear, order incomplete • Therefore, not a legal drug order

7. Examining Drug Orders • Must be written clearly • If any parts missing, order is incomplete • If ever in doubt, ask writer to clarify

8. Six Rights of Medication Administration • Right patient • Right drug • Right amount • Right route • Right time • Right documentation

9. Six Rights of Medication Administration • Right patient must receive right drug in right amount by right route at right time, followed by right documentation

10. Drug Orders • Sequence: • Name of drug • Dosage • Route • Frequency

11. Drug Orders • Example: Procanbid 500 mg p.o. b.i.d. • Name of drug = brand-name Procanbid • Dosage = 500 mg • Route = p.o. • Frequency = b.i.d.

12. What’s Wrong? • Heparin 5,000 units IV • Lasix b.i.d. • Depakene 250 mg by mouth • Demerol 50 mg IV as needed for pain

13. Medication Administration Record (MAR) • May be paper form or electronic • Used to record drug orders • Health care professional must verify and initial each order

14. MAR • Used by nurse as guide to: • Check drug order • Prepare correct dosage • Record drug administration

15. MAR Delmar/Cengage Learning

16. MAR Delmar/Cengage Learning

17. Preventing Medication Errors • Nurse can prevent medication errors by: • Clarifying incomplete orders • Correctly scheduling doses

18. Preventing Medication Errors • Read entire MAR at beginning of each shift • Verify times scheduled with ordered frequency • Review all medications to identify any potential drug interactions or inconsistencies

19. Critical Thinking • What is the role of a nurse in medication administration?

20. Critical Thinking • What are the legal implications related to medication administration?

21. Critical Thinking • What are some potential outcomes of unsafe medication administration?