Medications

• Medication


  A substance administered for the diagnosis, cure, treatment, or relief of a symptom or for prevention of disease
• Prescription


  Written direction for the preparation and administration of a drug
• Pharmacology


  The study of the effect of drugs on living organisms
• Required parts of drug orders and prescriptions

  • Person's full name
  • Date
  • Drug name (brand & generic)
  • Route of administration
  • Dose
  • Frequency
  • Duration of order
  • Doctor's signature
• Standing order


  Carried out until the specified period of time or until it is discontinued by another order
• Single order


  Carried out for one time only
• Stat order


  Carried out at once or immediately
• PRN order


  Carried out as the patient requires
• Types of doctor's orders

  • Standing order
  • Single order
  • Stat order
  • PRN order
• Principles in administering medications

  • Observe the "12 rights" of drug administration
  • Practice asepsis
  • Nurses who administer medications are responsible for their actions
  • Question any order that you consider incorrect
  • Be knowledgeable about the medications that you administer
  • Keep narcotics and barbiturates in a locked place
• Principles in administering medications

  • Use only medications that are clearly labeled in containers
  • Return liquids that are cloudy or have changed in color to the pharmacy
  • Identify the client correctly before administering a medication
  • Do not leave the medications at the bedside
  • If the client vomits after taking oral medication, report this to the nurse in charge and/or physician
• 12 rights of drug administration


  • Right client
  • Right drug
  • Right dose
  • Right route
  • Right time
  • Right assessment
  • Right motivation/approach
  • Right of the client to refuse
  • Right of the client to educate
  • Right evaluation
  • Right documentation
  • Right drug preparation
• Oral route forms


  • Solid: tablet, capsule, pill, powder
  • Liquid: syrup, suspension, emulsion
• Enteric-coated tablets


  Should not be crushed before administration
• Suspensions


  Never administered intravenously
• Medication


  A substance administered for the diagnosis, cure, treatment, or relief of a symptom or for prevention of disease
• Prescription


  A written direction for the preparation and administration of a drug
• Pharmacology


  The study of the effect of drugs on living organisms
• Required parts of drug orders and prescriptions

  • Person's full name
  • Date
  • Drug name (brand & generic)
  • Route of administration
  • Dose
  • Frequency
  • Duration of order
  • Doctor's signature
• Standing order


  Carried out until the specified period of time or until it is discontinued by another order
• Single order


  Carried out for one time only
• Stat order


  Carried out at once or immediately
• PRN order


  Carried out as the patient requires
• Types of doctor's orders

  • Standing order
  • Single order
  • Stat order
  • PRN order
• Principles in administering medications

  • Observe the "12 rights" of drug administration
  • Practice asepsis
  • Nurses who administer medications are responsible for their actions
  • Question any order that you consider incorrect
  • Be knowledgeable about the medications that you administer
  • Keep narcotics and barbiturates in a locked place
• Principles in administering medications

  • Use only medications that are clearly labeled in containers
  • Return liquids that are cloudy or have changed in color to the pharmacy
  • Identify the client correctly before administering a medication
  • Do not leave the medications at the bedside
  • If the client vomits after taking oral medication, report this to the nurse in charge and/or physician
• 12 rights of drug administration

  • Right client
  • Right drug
  • Right dose
  • Right route
  • Right time
  • Right assessment
  • Right motivation/approach
  • Right of the client to refuse
  • Right of the client to educate
  • Right evaluation
  • Right documentation
  • Right drug preparation
• Oral route forms


  • Solid: tablet, capsule, pill, powder
  • Liquid: syrup, suspension, emulsion
• Enteric-coated tablets


  Should not be crushed before administration
• Suspensions are never administered intravenously
• If the patient vomits within 20 – 30 minutes of taking the drugs, notify the physician. Do not re-administer the drug without a physician's order.
• Oral routes


  • Sublingual
  • Buccal
  • Topical: dermatologic, ophthalmic, otic, nasal, inhalation, vaginal, rectal
• Parenteral routes


  • Intradermal (ID)
  • Subcutaneous (SC)
  • Intramuscular (IM)
  • Intravenous (IV)
  • Intraarterial
  • Intraosseous
• Ampoule drug preparation


  1. Tap the top of the ampoule

  2. Use gauze or an alcohol swab to protect your fingers

  3. Break the neck of the ampoule away from your body

  4. Use a filter needle if available

  5. Insert your needle into the solution

  6. Invert the ampoule (or leave on the surface)

  7. With your needle in the solution, pull back on the plunger to the appropriate dose
• Vial drug preparation


  1. Remove the metal or plastic protective covering

  2. Swab the top with an alcohol swab

  3. Fill the syringe with air equivalent to the amount you want to withdraw from the vial

  4. Insert the needle into the center of the rubber stopper

  5. Instill the air from the syringe

  6. Invert the vial

  7. Pull back on the plunger to the desired amount

  8. Make sure the needle tip is in the fluid

  9. Remove the needle/syringe from the vial once the desired amount is reached

  10. Use the "scoop" technique to recap the needle

  11. Change the needle before administration
• Intradermal (ID) injection


  • Administered into the dermis just below the epidermis
  • Have the longest absorption time of all parenteral routes because there are fewer blood vessels and no muscle tissue
  • Used for sensitivity testing because the patient's reaction is easy to visualize, and the degree of reaction can be assessed
• Intradermal injection sites are the inner surface of the forearm and the upper back below the scapula, and should be free from lesions, rashes, moles, or scars that may alter the visual inspection of the test results
• Angle for intradermal (ID) injection

  5 to 15 degrees
• After the ID injection is completed, a bleb (small blister) should appear under the skin, indicating the medication has been correctly placed in the dermis
• Subcutaneous (SQ) injection


  • Administered into the adipose tissue layer called "subcutis" below the dermis
  • Medications injected into the subcutaneous layer are absorbed at a slow and steady rate