Medication

• Medication


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


  In the health care context, the word has the connotation of an illicitly obtained substance such as heroin, cocaine, amphetamines
• Medication


  • Usually dispensed on the order of a Physician
  • In some US states, specifically qualified nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses and physician assistants may prescribe drugs
• Prescription


  The written direction for the preparation and administering of a drug
• Names of medications


  • Generic name
  • Drug trade name (brand name)
  • Official name
  • Chemical name
• Pharmacology


  The study of the effect of drugs on living organisms
• Pharmacy


  The act of preparing, compounding and dispensing drugs; also refers to the place where drugs are prepared and dispensed
• Pharmacy staff


  • Licensed pharmacist prepared, makes and dispense drugs
  • Clinical pharmacist is a specialist who often guides the primary care provider in prescribing drug
  • Pharmacy technician is a member of the health team who in some states administer drug to client
• Drug sources


  • Natural (plants, mineral, animals)
  • Synthesized in the laboratory
• Drugs derived from plants may vary in strength according to the age of the plant, variety and place in which it is grown and the method used in preservation
• Pharmacopoeia


  A book containing a list of products used in medicine, with description of the products, chemical tests for determining identity and purity and formulas and prescription
• Effects of drugs


  • Therapeutic effect (desired effect)
  • Side effect (secondary effect)
  • Drug toxicity (harmful effects of a drug on an organism or tissue)
  • Drug allergy (immunologic reaction to a drug)
  • Drug tolerance (unusually low psychologic response to a drug)
• Administration of one drug before, at the same time as or after another drug

  Alters the effect of one or both drugs
• Iatrogenic disease can be a result of drug therapy
• Types of medication orders

  • STAT order (given immediately and only once)
  • Single order (one time order)
  • Standing order (may or may not have a termination date)
  • PRN (as needed) order
• Medication order abbreviations


  • OD (once a day)
  • BID (2 times a day)
  • TID (3 times a day)
  • QID (4 times a day)
  • HS (hours of sleep)
  • p.o (by mouth)
  • IV (intravenous)
  • SQ (subcutaneous)
  • q (every)
  • @ (at)
  • cc (milliliter)
  • RTC (round the clock)
  • PRN (as needed)
  • AS (left ear)
  • AD (right ear)
  • AU (both ears)
  • OS (left eye)
  • OD (right eye)
  • OU (both/each eye)
• Essential parts of a medication order

  • Full name of the patient
  • Date and time the order is written
  • Name of the drug to be administered
  • Dosage of the drug
  • Frequency of administration
  • Route of administration
  • Signature of the person writing the order

  
• Abbreviations commonly used in hospitals

  • OD- once a day
  • BID- 2X a day
  • TID- 3x a day
  • QID- 4x a day
  • HS - hours of sleep
  • p.o - by mouth
  • Intravenous- IV
  • Subcutaneous- SQ
  • q- every
  • @- at
  • cc- milliliter (ml)
  • RTC- round the clock
  • PRN-as needed
  • AS- left ear
  • AD- right ear
  • AU- both ears
  • OS- left eye
  • OD- right eye
  • OU- BOTH/each eye
• Essential parts of a medication order

  • FULL NAME OF THE PATIENT
  • DATE AND TIME THE ORDER IS WRITTEN
  • NAME OF THE DRUG TO BE ADMINISTERED
  • DOSAGE OF THE DRUG
  • FREQUENCY OF ADMINISTRATION
  • ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION
  • SIGNATURE OF THE PERSON WRITING THE ORDER

  
• Medication order 1

  • Name: Mariano Santiago
  • Date: 03/30/2021
  • Time: 11:00 pm
  • Amoxicillin 500 mg/tab 1 tablet TID p.o
  • 8am-1pm-6pm

  
• Medication order 2

  • Name: Mariano Santiago
  • Date: 03/30/2021
  • Time: 11:00 pm
  • Ampicillin 500 mg IV q 8hours

  
• Metric system


  Logically organized into units of 10, decimal system, basic units can be multiplied or divided by 10 to form secondary units
• Metric system prefixes


  • deci (1/10 or 0.1)
  • centi (1/100 or 0.01)
  • milli (1/1000 or 0.001)
  • Deka ( 10)
  • Hecto ( 100)
  • Kilo (1000)
• Weight (gram)


  Kilogram (kg) only multiple of gram used, Milligram (mg) and microgram (mcg) are subdivisions, 1 kg=1000g, 1 g=1000 mg, 1 mg=1000 mcg
• Volume (liter)


  Expressed in milliliters (mL) or Liters (L), 1 L=1000ml
• In nursing practice it is important to understand the difference between volume and weight. A drug dosage may be ordered by weight (mg, g, mcg) but administered in volume (mL).
• Systems of measurement


  • Metric system
  • Apothecaries' system
  • Household system
• Apothecaries' system is older than metric system, with grain (gr) as basic unit of weight and minim (volume "at least")
• Household system is used when more accurate system of measure are not required, includes drops, teaspoon, tablespoon, cups and glasses
• 1 mL


  15 minims, 15 drops (gtts), 4-5 ml
• 1 fluid dram


  1 teaspoon (tsp)
• 1 tbsp


  15ml
• 1 fluid once


  30ml
• 1 pint


  500 ml
• 1 quart


  1000ml
• 1 gallon


  4000ml
• 1 gram


  1000 mg
• 1 dram


  60 grains
• 1 ounce


  30g
• 1 pound


  2.2 lb