Interpreting Drug Orders

1. Interpreting Drug Orders Textbook Assignment:Pickar, G. (2007). Dosage calculations: A ratio-proportion approach. (2nd ed.) Chapter 7 Revised KBurger 0808

2. Nursing Responsibilities • Interpret order • Prepare exact dosage of prescribed drug • Identify the patient • Administer dosage by prescribed route at prescribed time intervals • Record the administration of the prescribed drug • Monitor the patient’s response for desired and adverse effects

3. Medical Abbreviations • Used frequently with drug orders • Must commit to memory • REVIEW JCAHO “Do not use list” • REVIEW ISMP “List of Error-Prone Abbreviations” • Memorize “edited” list of Common Medical Abbreviations in Chapter 7

4. 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

5. Caution • If any parts of the order are missing or unclear, the order is incomplete and not a legal drug order • If the nurse has difficulty interpreting a drug order, he/she MUST seek clarification from the prescriber.

6. Drug Orders • Sequence • Name of drug • Dosage • Route • Frequency

7. Examples • Digoxin 0.125 mg PO daily • Lasix 20 mg PO bid • Phenergan 12.5 mg IM Stat

8. Six Rights of Medication Administration • Right patient • Right drug • Right amount • Right route • Right time • Right documentation

9. Six Rights of Medication Administration • The right patientmust receive the right drugin the right amount by the right routeat the right time, followed by the right documentation.

10. Medication Administration RecordMAR

11. What’s Wrong? • Heparin 5,000 U IV • Lasix 40mg p.o. qd • Depakene 250 mg p.o. • Demerol 50.0 mg IV prn for pain