MEDICATIO

NS
ILLNESS ??!
MEDICATIONS
• Medications are chemical substances that
change body function.
• One of the nurse’s most important
responsibility is the administration of
medication
• Therefore the nurse need to be skillful in
medication administration considering the
patient’s development, health status & safety
• Pharmacist is a person licensed to prepare &
dispense drugs
• Prescribers – Physicians, dentists,
psychiatrists, Advanced Practice Nurses ( eg.
Nurse practitioners, Nurse Anestheist, Nurse
Midwives etc)
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 DEFINITIONS

• The study that deals with chemicals that affect

the body’s functioning is called Pharmacology
• PHARMACOKINETICS – study of the
absorption, distribution, metabolism &
excretion of drugs
• DRUG- (Drogue means a dry herb in French)
Any substance or product that is used or
intended to be used to modify or explore
physiological systems or pathological states for
the benefit of the recipient
• THERAPEUTICS – deals with the use of drugs in
prevention & treatment of disease
• TOXICOLOGY – deals with adverse effects of
drugs & also the study of poisons
• CHEMOTHERAPY – use of chemicals for
treatment of malignancies
 Purposes of medications
• To prevent disease
• To cure disease
• To promote health
• To give palliative treatment
• To give symptomatic treatment
 RIGHTS of medication administration

FIVE RIGHTS
• RIGHT PATIENT
• RIGHT DRUG
• RIGHT DOSE
• RIGHT ROUTE
• RIGHT TIME
 6 RIGHT
• RIGHT PATIENT
• RIGHT DRUG
• RIGHT DOSE
• RIGHT ROUTE
• RIGHT TIME
• RIGHT DOCUMENTATION
 8 RIGHTS
• RIGHT PATIENT
• RIGHT DRUG
• RIGHT DOSE
• RIGHT ROUTE
• RIGHT TIME
• RIGHT DOCUMENTATION
• RIGHT REASON
• RIGHT RESPONSE
10 RIGHTS
 Nurses' Six Rights for Safe Medication Administration

• The right to a complete and clearly written order

• The right to have the correct drug route and dose
dispensed
• The right to have access to information
• The right to have policies on medication
administration
• The right to adminster medications safely and to
identify problems in the system
• The right to stop, think, and be vigilant when
administering medications
 DEFINITIONS
• DRUG- (Drogue means a dry herb in French) Any substance or
product that is used or intended to be used to modify or
explore physiological systems or pathological states for the
benefit of the recipient
• PHARMACOKINETICS – study of the absorption, distribution,
metabolism & excretion of drugs
• THERAPEUTICS – deals with the use of drugs in prevention &
treatment of disease
• TOXICOLOGY – deals with adverse effects of drugs & also the
study of poisons
• CHEMOTHERAPY – use of chemicals for treatment of
malignancies
• Rights of Medication Administration
• 1. Right patient
• Check the name on the order and the patient.
• Use 2 identifiers.
• Ask patient to identify himself/herself.
• When available, use technology (for example, bar-code system).
• 2. Right medication
• Check the medication label.
• Check the order.
• 3. Right dose
• Check the order.
• Confirm appropriateness of the dose using a current drug reference.
• If necessary, calculate the dose and have another nurse calculate the dose as well.
• 4. Right route
• Again, check the order and appropriateness of the route ordered.
• Confirm that the patient can take or receive the medication by the ordered route.
• 5. Right time
• Check the frequency of the ordered medication.
• Double-check that you are giving the ordered dose at the correct time.
• Confirm when the last dose was given.
• 6. Right documentation
• Document administration AFTER giving the ordered medication.
• Chart the time, route, and any other specific information as necessary. For example, the site of an injection or any laboratory value or vital sign that needed to be checked before
giving the drug.
• 7. Right reason
• Confirm the rationale for the ordered medication. What is the patient’s history? Why is he/she taking this medication?
• Revisit the reasons for long-term medication use.
• 8. Right response
• Make sure that the drug led to the desired effect. If an antihypertensive was given, has his/her blood pressure improved? Does the patient verbalize improvement in depression while
on an antidepressant?
• Be sure to document your monitoring of the patient and any other nursing interventions that are applicable.
• Reference: Nursing2012 Drug Handbook. (2012). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• There are many ways to prevent medication errors and one way of which is understanding the 10 “rights” of drug administration:
• 1. Right Drug.
• Check and verify if it’s the right name and form. Beware of look-alike and sound-alike medication names. Misreading medication names that
look similar is a common mistake. These look-alike medication names may also sound alike and can lead to errors associated with verbal
prescriptions. Check out The Joint Commission’s list of look-alike/sound-alike drugs.
• 2. Right Patient.
• Ask the name of the client and check his/her ID band before giving the medication. Even if you know that patient’s name, you still need to ask
just to verify.
• 3. Right Dose.
• Check the medication sheet and the doctor’s order before medicating. Be aware of the difference of an adult and a pediatric dose.
• 4. Right Route.
• Check the order if it’s oral, IV, SQ, IM, etc..
• 5. Right Time and Frequency.
• Check the order for when it would be given and when was the last time it was given.
• 6. Right Documentation.
• Make sure to right the time and any remarks on the chart correctly.
• 7. Right History and Assessment.
• Secure a copy of the client’s history to drug interactions and allergies.
• 8. Drug approach and Right to Refuse.
• Give the client enough autonomy to refuse to the medication after thoroughly explaining the effects.
• 9. Right Drug-Drug Interaction and Evaluation.
• Review any medications previously given or the diet of the patient that can yield a bad interaction to the drug to be given. Check also the
expiry date of the medication being given.
• 10. Right Education and Information.
• Provide enough knowledge to the patient of what drug he/she would be taking and what are the expected therapeutic and side effects.
 Nurses' Six Rights for Safe Medication Administration

• The right to a complete and clearly written order

• The right to have the correct drug route and dose
dispensed
• The right to have access to information
• The right to have policies on medication
administration
• The right to adminster medications safely and to
identify problems in the system
• The right to stop, think, and be vigilant when
administering medications