PHARMACOLOGY

• 5-PLUS 5 RIGHTS OF DRUG ADMINISTRATION

  • Understanding these can help prevent many medication errors.
  • Research on medical administration errors (MAEs) showed that there is a 60% error rate mainly in the form of wrong time, rate, or dose.
  • Some medication errors cause permanent disability and for others the errors are fatal.
• RIGHT DRUG

  • Check & verify if it’s the right name and form.
  • Misreading medication names that look similar is a common mistake.
  • Verbal order – an order that is communicated orally either in person or by telephone by a licensed healthcare provider, regarding a medication, diagnostic test, or other treatment.
  • Check the name of the medication.
  • Check the expiry date.
  • Check the prescription.
  • Make sure medications, especially antibiotics, are reviewed regularly.
• LOOK ALIKE SOUND ALIKE (LASA)

  • medications that are visually similar in physical appearance or packaging and names of medications that have spelling similarities and/or similar phonetics.
• TYPES OF ORDER

  • A stat order: the medication is to be given immediately and only once (emergency situation).
  • Single order or one time order is for medication to be given once at a specific time e.g., (before surgery).
  • Standing order: may or may bot have a termination date. May be carried out indefinitely until an order is written to cancel it. Or it may be carried out for specified number of days.
• RIGHT PATIENT

  • Ask the name of the client and check his/her ID band before giving the medication.
  • Even if you know that patient’s name, you still need to ask just to verify.
• RIGHT DOSE

  • Check the medication sheet and the doctor’s order before medicating.
  • Be aware of the difference between an adult and a pediatric dose.
  • Check the prescription.
  • If necessary, calculate the dose and have another nurse calculate the dose as well.
• RIGHT ROUTE

  • Check the order and appropriateness of the route prescribed.
  • Confirm that the patient can take or receive the medication by the ordered route.
  • oral (swallowing an aspirin tablet).
  • enteral (administering to the GI tract such as via an NG tube).
  • rectal (administering an acetaminophen [Tylenol] suppository).
  • inhalation (breathing in medication from an inhaler).
  • intramuscular (getting a flu shot in the deltoid muscle).
  • subcutaneous (injecting insulin into the fat tissue beneath the skin).
  • transdermal (wearing a nicotine patch).
• RIGHT TIME

  • Check the order for when it would be given and when was the last time it was given.
  • Check the frequency of the prescribed medication.
  • Double-check that you are giving the prescribed at the correct time.
• RIGHT DOCUMENTATION

  • Make sure to write the time and any remarks on the chart correctly.
  • name of the drug.
  • dose.
  • route (injection site if applicable).
  • time and date.
  • nurse’s initials or signature.
• RIGHT ASSESSMENT

  • Secure a copy of the client’s history of drug interactions and allergies.
  • Requires the appropriate data to be collected before the administration of the drug.
• RIGHT TO REFUSE

  • Ensure you have the patient’s consent to administer medications.
  • Give the client enough autonomy to refuse the medication after thoroughly explaining the effects.
• RIGHT EVALUATION

  • Ensure the medication is working the way it should.
  • Ensure medications are reviewed regularly.
  • Ongoing observations if required.
• RIGHT EDUCATION

  • Provide enough knowledge to the patient of what drug he/she would be taking and what the expected therapeutic and side effects.
  • Make them aware they should contact a healthcare professional if they experience side effects or reactions.