Interpreting Drug Orders Chapter 7 Interpreting Drug Orders

Nursing Responsibilities Interpret order Prepare exact dosage of prescribed drug Identify the patient Administer dosage by prescribed route at prescribed time intervals © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Nursing Responsibilities Record the administration of the prescribed drug Monitor the patient’s response for desired and adverse effects © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Medical Abbreviations Used frequently with drug orders Must commit to memory © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Common Medical Abbreviations Abbreviation and route IM = intramuscular IV = intravenous IV PB = intravenous piggyback Subcut = subcutaneous SL = sublingual, under the tongue ID = intradermal © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Common Medical Abbreviations GT = gastrostomy tube NG = nasogastric tube NJ = nasojejunal tube p.o. = by mouth, orally p.r. = per rectum, rectally © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Common Medical Abbreviations Frequency a.c. = before meals p.c. = after meals ad. lib. = as desired, freely p.r.n. = when necessary stat = immediately, at once asap = as soon as possible b.i.d. = twice a day © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Common Medical Abbreviations t.i.d. = three times a day q.i.d. = four times a day min = minute h = hour q.h = every hour q.2h = every two hours © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Common Medical Abbreviations q.3h = every three hours q.4h = every four hours q.6h = every six hours q.8h = every eight hours q.12h = every twelve hours © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Common Medical Abbreviations General a = before p = after c = with s = without q = every © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Common Medical Abbreviations qs = quantity sufficient aq = water NPO = nothing by mouth gtt = drop tab = tablet cap = capsule et = and noct = night © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

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 the order © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Caution If any parts of the order are missing or unclear, the order is incomplete, and is therefore not a legal drug order © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Examples Cortisporin otic suspension Two drops, each ear, three times a day and at bedtime Digoxin 0.125 mg by mouth daily Lasix 20 mg by mouth twice daily © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Examining Drug Orders Drug order must be clearly written If any parts are missing, it is incomplete If ever in doubt, ask the writer to clarify © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Six Rights of Medication Administration Right patient Right drug Right amount Right route Right time Right documentation © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Drug Orders Sequence Name of drug Dosage Route Frequency If unsure of order, clarify © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Medication Administration Record (MAR) May be a paper form or electronic Used to record drug orders Health care professional must verify and initial each order © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Medication Administration Record Three checks to ensure safe medication administration Drug order Correct dosage Record drug administration © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Preventing Medication Errors Clarify incomplete orders Identify scheduling of doses 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 © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Critical Thinking What is the role of the nurse in medication administration? What are the legal implications related to medication administration? What are some potential outcomes of unsafe medication administration? © 2013 Delmar Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied, duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.