 Uses a physician’s order sheet which is

part of the patient’s hospital chart or

record
 Must know the terminology,
abbreviations, symbols used in writing
medical prescriptions and orders for
medications
 Must include the same information as the
written order: the date the order is recorded
 After recording the orders on the patient’s
chart, the orders must be repeated to the
physician for verification
 Required to write the MD’s name, a notation
that this is a telephone order and the staff
signature.
Stat order
medication should be given
immediately & only once

Single order (one-time order)

medication to be given once at a
specified time
Standing order
may or may not have a termination
date; may be carried out indefinitely

PRN order (as needed order)

permits the nurse/RT to give a
medication when, in the nurse’s/RT’s
judgment, the client requires it
a. Ampicillin 0.5g PO b.i.d. X 7 days
b. Codeine i grain PO stat
c. Aspirin i tab prn for temp ≥ 38 C
d. Dulcolax i supp hs before surgery
Observe the “ten rights” (Joyce Kee) in giving
each medication:
1. the right patient
2. the right drug
3. the right dose
4. the right time
5. the right route
6. the right assessment
7. the right documentation
8. the patient’s right to education
9. the right evaluation
10. the patient’s right to refuse
BUCCAL
placed between
cheek & gum
Designed to pass the stomach without
dissolving
granular effervescent salts and/or
other materials that release gas
designed to be released & absorbed in
stages or gradually over time
contain a base of flavoured and/or sugar alcohol
often used for children
whose surfaces have been grooved or
scored
small two-part
containers that are
usually made of gelatin
substance that is
designed to be
dissolved in the
stomach or GIT
 smooth, coated, oval-shaped
medicine tablet intended to be
tamper-resistant
 Capsule + tablet
hard, circular or oblong disks that
consist of a medication in a
candy-like base
dry medication that resemble like a
powder, but particles are larger than
powders
 One or more drugs mixed with a cohesive
material, in oval, round, or flattened shape
EXAMPLE
Oral Rehydration
Solution
Finely ground drug,
some are used internally
others, externally.
Measured doses of solid
medication in powdered
form usually dissolve in
water before ingestion.
Very fine powders
maybe applied topically
to the skin or mucus
membrane or by
inhalation
shape like a cylinder or cone which melts
gradually in body temperature
a preparation like an
ointment, but thicker
and stiff, that penetrates
the skin less than an
ointment
-used for application on skin
or mucous membrane
-oil-based
-non greasy preparation
used for the skin
-a liquid, powder, or foam deposited in
a thin layer on the skin by air pressure
-a medication in a liquid suspension
applied to the skin
-one or more
drugs dissolved
in water
-clear and
homogenous
-a medication
mixed with
alcohol, oil, or
soapy emollient
and applied to
the skin
a sweetened &
aromatic solution of
alcohol used as a
vehicle for
medicinal agents
alcoholic or water-and-alcohol
solution prepared from drugs
derived from plants
-a concentrated form of a
drug made from
vegetables or animals
alcoholic
solutions of
volatile drug
drugs dissolved
in a solution of
sugar and then
flavoured to
disguise
unpleasant taste
drugs that
have been
mixed with a
liquid, but not
dissolved
-fine droplets of an oil
in water or water in oil
- must be shaken
vigorously before
usage since they
separate into layers
after standing a long
period of time
How therapeutic agent is administered Term Used
to Describe the
Route

Having swallowed Oral Administration

Placing agent under the tongue Sublingual
Having inhale the agent Inhalation
Inserting therapeutic agent into:
vagina Vaginal administration
rectum Rectal administration
Placing the agent on the skin Topical Application
Dropping agent into the mucous Instillation
Membrane
Flushing mucous membrane with large Irrigation
amounts of the therapeutic agent.
 Parental Administration
Corium Intracutaneous or intradermal
Subcutaneous tissue Hypodermic / subcutaneous
Muscle tissue Intramuscular
Vein Intravenous
Subarachnoid space of spinal Intrathecal or Intraspinal
Peritoneal cavity Intraperitoneal
Heart Intracardiac
Cavity of a joint Intra-articular
Click here to view a video on intramuscular injections.

Back to Directory
 Ventrogluteal
 Vastus lateralis
 Dorsogluteal
 Deltoid
 Rectus femoris
infant
adult
OD once a day
b.i.d. twice a day
t.i.d. three times a day
q.i.d. four times a day
a.c. before meals
p.c. after meals
HS hour of sleep
RTC round the clock
q120
q40
q40 RTC
q60
prn q40
t.i.d ac

OD a.c.
OD p.c.
q12
Metric System
 devised by the French in the latter part of the
18th century
 used exclusively in the United States
Pharmacopeia
 Metric System is a logical, easy to understand
measurement system base on units of 10
 Unit Abbreviat Equivalents
ion
Weight Gram g 1g = 1000 mg
Milligrams mg 1mg = 1000mcg =
.001g
Microgram mcg 1mcg = .001mg =
.000001g
Kilogram kg 1kg = 1000g
Volume Liter L 1L = 1000mL
Milliters mL 1ml = .001L = 1cc
Cubic cc 1cc = 1ml = .001L
centimeters
Length Meter m 1m = 100cm =
1000mm
Centimeter cm 1cm = .01m = 10mm
 older than the metric system, was
brought to the United States from
England during the colonial period
 originated in England and is
based on the weight of a single
grain of wheat
 The basic unit of weight then is
called the grain
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 Unit Term abbreviation
Weight Grain gr
Volume Minim m
Dram dr or ʒ
Ounce oz or ǯ

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 uses as units such items as a teaspoon,
table spoon, cup, pint, quart, and
medicine dropper
 basic units of measure for weight are
the ounce and the pound
 basic units for volume are the
teaspoon, tablespoon, ounce, pint,
quart, and gallon

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 Metric Apothecary Household

5ml 1 fluid dram 1 teaspoon

15ml 3 fluid drams 1 table spoon or 3 tsp

30ml 1 fluid ounce 1 ounce

240ml 8 fluid ounces 1 glass

480 ml 1 pint 1pint

approx
500ml
1000ml 1 quart 1 quart

4000ml 1 gallon 1 gallon

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 1mg 1/60 grain
4mg 1/15 grain
10mg 1/6 grain
15mg ¼ grain
30mg ½ grain
60mg 1 grain
1g 15 grains
4g 1 dram
30g 1ounce 1 ounce
500g 1.1 pounds (lbs) 1 pound
1000g (1kg) 2.2 pounds 2.2 pounds
2.54 cm 1 inch
1feet 12 inches

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Example 1: Convert 0.5 gram to
milligram.
0.5 grams x 1,000 mg = 500 mg ;
gram

 Calculating Drug Dosages

3 step are:
 Convert
 Compute
 Critically think
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 A= D x V
H
D = desired or prescribed dosage of the
medication
H = dosage of medication available or on hand
V = volume or quantity that the medication is
available in, such as one tablet or milliliters
A = amount of medication to administer

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Example1
The physician prescribes 100
mg of a medication. The
medication is available in
50mg tablets.

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= 100 mg x 1 tablet
50 mg

100mg/50mg x 1 tablet = 2 tablet.

You would administer 2 tablets
 The medicine container is labeled Lopressor
50 mg per tablet. Calculate 1 dose.

 The drug order reads: Lopressor 100 mg P.O.

bid.
 Step 1 Convert. No conversion is necessary.
The units are in the same system (metric)
and the same size (mg)
 Step 2. Compute.
A= D x V
H

100 mg x 1 tablet = 2 x 1 tablet

50 mg
Answer : 2 tablets; given orally twice daily.

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Step 3. Think
You want to administer 100 mg, and you
have 50 mg per tablet. You want
to give twice the equivalent of each
tablet, or you want to administer 2
tablets per dose.

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 Consult the clinical instructor or
the head nurse if a written order is
not clear as to meaning, not
legible or not signed by the
doctor.
 Wash hands thoroughly before
measuring and preparing
medication
 Make certain that all equipment
are clean
5. When giving pills or tablets, place in proper container
directly from the bottle. Do not touch them with your
hands.
6. Determine if medication is to be delayed or omitted
for a specific length of time, as for x – ray
examination or basal metabolic test, blood chem,
and / or in cases where the drug/s can adversely
affect the patient’s vital signs or condition.
7. Never leave the medicine cabinet unlocked. Never
leave your cart of medicine tray out of your sight.
8. Do not return to stock any excess medicine or
medicine refused by a patient
9. Do not use a drug which is discolored, has
precipitated, is contaminated or expired.
10. Provide drinking straws for irritating drugs and
for those likely to stain the teeth i.e. iodine
preparations.
11. Do not pour a drug from one bottle to another.
12. Never give two or more drugs at one time,
unless ordered.
13. Do not permit one patient to carry medicine to
another.
14. Know the minimum and maximum dose for the
medication being given.
15. Report immediately to the CI or nurse in charge
any error in medication.
16. Always provide a drink of fresh water to the
patient immediately after giving an oral
medication, unless water is contraindicated
17. The nursewho prepares a medicine
should also give it and do the
necessary recording.
18. Do not recap needles (Infection
Control) instead use the fish-hook
technique.
19. Enteric Coated Drugs should never
be powdered or crushed.
 Thou shalt know thy drug.
 Thou shalt read the label three times.
 Thou shalt clarify thy doubts.
 Thou shalt measure the drug accurately.
 Thou shalt only think of what thou art doing.
 Thou shalt use the medication ticker always.
 Thou shalt give the drug promptly.
 Thou shalt give the drug to the right patient.
 Thou shalt report errors promptly.
 Thou shalt chart only what thou hath given.
heck why the medication is given & know the classification of
the drug

ow will you know if the medication is effective? What are your

assessment parameters in monitoring the effects of the drug?

xactly what time should the medication be given?

lient teaching tips. What are the therapeutic and side effects
of the medication?

eys to giving it safely. You should be able to identify

interventions to counteract the adverse effects of the
drug.