1. Understanding Drug Labels
Chapter 8
MAT 119

2. Drug Names ® - means registered ™ - means Trade Mark
Brand, trade, proprietary
Manufacturer’s name for a drug
Brand name is usually most prominent
® - means registered
™ - means Trade Mark
Generic
Established, nonproprietary name
Generic name must be on all drug labels

3. Brand and Generic Names

4. Identify the Brand Name

5. Identify the Generic Name

6. Identify Drug Name: Generic or Brand?
Note: Generic Name only

7. Dosage Strength
Dosage weight or amount of drug provided in a specific unit of measurement

8. Form (more in Chapter 10) Structure and composition of drug
Solid forms for oral use
Injectable
Suppositories
Creams
Patches

9. Identify Form
Note apothecary & is incorrect
Should be gr 1/150

10. Identify Form

11. Supply Dosage Both dosage and form Dosage per tablet
Dosage per milliliter

12. Total Volume Full quantity contained in bottle or vial
Total number of tablets or other solids
Total fluid volume for liquids

13. Administration Route Site of body or method of drug delivery Oral
Tablets, capsusles, caplets
Enteral (into the GI tract via tube)
Sublingual
Injection (IV, IM, subcut)
Topical

14. Identify the Administration Route

15. Directions for Reconstituting
Some drugs are dispensed in powder form and must be
reconstituted for use (more in chapter 12)

16. Continued
Directions for reconstitution

17. Continued

18. Continued

19. Label Alerts Warnings or special alerts Examples Alert
Refrigerate at all times
Keep in a dry place
Alert

20. Name of Manufacturer

21. Expiration Date
The medication should be used, discarded or returned to the pharmacy by the expiration date.
Exp in powder form
Exp when reconstituted

22. Lot or Control Numbers
Important if drug is recalled – required by Federal Law
Quickly identifies a particular group of medication packages
Control No.

23. National Drug Code (NDC)
Every drugs has an NDC – similar to SS#

24. Controlled Substance Schedule
Classifies drugs according to potential for use and abuse
Schedule I – highest potential for abuse
Schedule V – lowest potential for abuse
Has the letter C with
Roman Numerals

25. Bar Code Symbols
Used in retail sales; document drug dosing, even at the patient’s bedside.
Bar Code

26. United States Pharmacopeia (USP) National Formulary (NF)
The USP and NF are the two official national lists of approved drugs.
These initials are placed after the generic drug name – be careful not to confuse a drug form like SR – sustained release

27. Unit or Single-Dose Labels
Most oral and some IV medications given in the hospital setting are available in single (unit) doses.
The total volume is usually
omitted on these containers
because they only hold a single
dose.

28. Combination Drugs
Some medications are a combination of two or more drugs in one form.
Combination drugs are sometimes prescribed by the number of caplets, capsules or milliliters to be given rather than by dosage strength (ex. Percocet).

29. Supply Dosage expressed as a Percent
Percentage (%) solutions express the number of grams of the drug per 100 milliliters of solution.
Betoptic Opthalmic Solution 0.5%
contains 0.5 g of drug per 100 mL
0.5g : 100 mL = 500 mg : 100 mL = 5 mg/mL

30. Supply Dosage expressed as a Ratio
Ratio solutions express the number of grams of the drug per total milliliters of solution.
Epinephrine 1:10,000
contains 1 g of the drug per 10,000 mL solution
1 g: 10,000 mL = 1,000 mg: 10,000 mL = 1 mg/10 mL

31. Check Labels
Before administering a medication to a patient, check the drug label three times:
On first contact - against the medication order or MAR
When preparing the medication
Before administering it.

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

33. Identify parts of the
drug label
Brand name?
Route?
Label alerts?
Manufacturer?

34. Identify parts of the drug label
NDC #?
Generic name?
Route?

35. Identify parts of the drug label
Supply dosage?
Volume?
Brand name?