what is the correct way to administer medication

The different ways of administering medication

• Orally. The majority of medicines that are prescribed are administered orally. It is important that oral medication...
• Inhalation. For people who have difficulty with respiratory issues they will often inhale medication. This will be...
• Instillation. Instillation is in the form of liquid and enters the body via the eyes,...

Full Answer

What are the 10 routes of medication administration?

•Nasal – placed in the nostril •Inhalant – inhaled into the lungs •Transdermal – placed and affixed to the skin •Topical – applied to the skin or hair •Vaginal – inserted into the vagina •Rectal – inserted into the rectum •Subcutaneous – injected into the fat with a syringe Common Routes of Medication Administration

What are the different ways of administering medicines?

The different ways of administering medication

• Orally. The majority of medicines that are prescribed are administered orally. ...
• Inhalation. For people who have difficulty with respiratory issues they will often inhale medication. ...
• Instillation. ...
• Injection. ...
• Transdermal Administration. ...
• Rectal Administration. ...
• Vaginal Administration. ...
• Storing medication. ...
• Disposing of medication. ...
• Dignity and privacy. ...

What are the seven steps of medication administration?

What are the seven steps of medication administration?

• The right patient.
• The right medication (drug)
• The right dose.
• The right route.
• The right time.
• The right reason.
• The right documentation.

What are the 6 rights of medication administration?

What The 6 Rights of Medication Administration Are

1. Right Patient Always verify that you have the correct patient before giving them medication. Check the chart but also look at their bracelet and ask them to identify themselves. ...
2. Right Drug Make sure you are giving them the correct drug that is on their chart and prescription.
3. Right Dose Double check the amount of the drug. ...

More items...

What are 5 ways of administering medications?

One of the recommendations to reduce medication errors and harm is to use the “five rights”: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time.

What are the basic rules for medication administration?

Six Rights of Medication AdministrationIdentify the right patient. ... Verify the right medication. ... Verify the indication for use. ... Calculate the right dose. ... Make sure it's the right time. ... Check the right route.

What are the 3 checks of medication administration?

Frequency – how often a medication must be given. MAR – medication administration record. Route – how a medication is given. Time – when the medication is scheduled on the MAR.

What are the nursing responsibilities when administering medications?

Nurses' responsibility for medication administration includes ensuring that the right medication is properly drawn up in the correct dose, and administered at the right time through the right route to the right patient. To limit or reduce the risk of administration errors, many hospitals employ a single-dose system.

What are the 7 rights rules for giving medication?

The right patient: check that you have the correct patient using two patient identifiers (e.g., name and date of birth)....Additional InformationThe right patient.The right medication (drug)The right dose.The right route.The right time.The right reason.The right documentation.

What are 10 medication administration rights?

Today, 10 laws are emphasized to reduce the incidence of medication error: right patient, right drug, right dosage, right time, right route, right to refuse (patient and nurse), right knowledge, right questions or challenges, right advice, and right response or outcome [7] . ...

What are the 5 rights and 3 checks of medication administration?

At each safety checkpoint, the medication is verified with the patient's electronic MAR, confirming the right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, and right time. The third and final safety check is completed at the patient bedside, prior to medication administration.

What are the 9 rights of medication administration?

The list below offers some suggestions.Right patient. Change the name band e.g. date of birth or medical record number. ... Right reason. Add medications that make no sense for a patient. ... Right medication. ... Right dose. ... Right route. ... Right time. ... Right documentation. ... Right response.More items...

Why is dignity important when administering medication?

Dignity and privacy. It is important to provide dignity and privacy when administering medication. This helps to make the patient feel comfortable, especially if administering medication means the patient having to take some of their clothes off, or having medication administered rectally or vaginally.

When medication is no longer required, it must be disposed of as soon as possible?

When medication is no longer required it must be disposed of as soon as possible. There should be a member of staff that is designated to check the medicine stocks on a monthly basis, as this is in line with the legislation. Needles and sharps need to be placed in a sharps bin and disposed of by the local authority.

Why is it important for care workers to be familiar with all polices that relate to storing medication?

It is important that care workers should be familiar with all polices that relate to storing medication, this means they will know how to do it correctly. For people that take their own medication, consideration should be given and how easy it is for them to access the medication that they need and if anything needs changing.

What type of injection is needed for diabetes?

Subcutaneous. This injection goes beneath the individual’s skin, someone that has type 1 diabetes will need to have insulin injected into them, care workers have to have specialist training and they have to get permission from the individual.

What is vaginal administration?

Vaginal Administration. Storing medication. Disposing of medication. Dignity and privacy. There are different ways which medication can be administrated, some methods can only be administrated by a person who has had special training, to help reduce the risk of harm it could cause on an individual.

Where should needles and sharps be disposed of?

Needles and sharps need to be placed in a sharps bin and disposed of by the local authority . Liquid waste should be disposed of in a specialist bin, they should never be put down the toilet or sinks. Transdermal patches must be folded in half before being disposed as this renders them ineffective.

What does inhaling medicine mean?

This will be people that have asthma and inhaling means that the medicine will be able to get to the area of the body where it is most needed quicker than swallowing medication. Things such as inhalers and nebulisers ensure that the medicine goes straight to the lungs and will work immediately.

How many patients at a time should you prepare medications?

Prepare medications for ONE patient at a time.

What to do if a patient questions a medication?

If a patient questions or expresses concern about a medication, stop and do not administer it. If a patient questions a medication, stop and explore the patient’s concerns, review the physician’s order, and, if necessary, notify the practitioner in charge of the patient.

What is the role of a nurse in medication administration?

Medication administration requires good decision-making skills and clinical judgment, and the nurse is responsible for ensuring full understanding of medication administration and its implications for patient safety. Medication errors have a substantial impact on health care in Canada (Butt, 2010). When preparing and administering medication, ...

Why do we need an assessment before medication?

All medications require an assessment (review of lab values, pain, respiratory assessment, cardiac assessment, etc.) prior to medication administration to ensure the patient is receiving the correct medication for the correct reason.

What is high alert medication?

High-alert medications are those that are most likely to cause significant harm, even when used as intended. The most common high-alert medications are anticoagulants, narcotics and opiates, insulins, and sedatives. The types of harm most commonly associated with these medications include hypotension, delirium, bleeding, hypoglycemia, bradycardia, and lethargy.

Can you document a medication?

NEVER document that you have given a medication until you have actually administered it.

Can a nurse borrow medication from another patient?

For example, a nurse may “borrow” a medication from another patient while waiting for an order to be filled by the pharmacy. These workarounds fail to follow agency policy to ensure safe medication practices. Ensure medication has not expired. Medication may be inactive if expired.

How are drugs administered?

Fundamentally drugs can be administered orally (by mouth), parenterally (by injection) or topically (by absorption through the skin).

What is the best way to give medicine?

Oral. Oral administration of medication is the most common method; it is the most convenient and safest way to give medicine. Administration is in the form of tablet, capsule, emulsion, mixture or as a gel. The body absorbs many of the oral drugs in the market today once they reach the small intestine; some medicines are absorbed from ...

How are sublingual drugs absorbed?

Medicines administered by the sublingual method are fast acting as the tissues under the tongue are a rich capillary network of blood vessels, enabling fast absorption of the drug. The sublingual method is also beneficial in that it helps prevent drugs from becoming destroyed by stomach acid, or by hepatic inactivation. In other words, sublingual drugs are absorbed into the circulatory system without having to pass through the gastrointestinal tract or the liver.

Why is sublingual medicine used?

The sublingual method is also beneficial in that it helps prevent drugs from becoming destroyed by stomach acid, or by hepatic inactivation.

Why is subcutaneous therapy not recommended?

The subcutaneous method is not recommended for patients who have suffered shock, as it reduces the peripheral circulation, which would then lead to a decreased absorption rate by the body. Irritant drugs are also not administered subcutaneously as these are painful and can cause tissue necrosis.

What is intramuscular administration?

Intramuscular administration is ideal for administering suspensions and solutions. Intravenous – Intravenous administration of drugs is recommended when fast or immediate response is required or when absorption is compromised. This method enables the drug to reach the blood stream directly.

Where are parenteral drugs administered?

Parenteral. Parenteral drugs are administered through the patient’s subcutaneous or intramuscular glands. This method is preferred when the drug is poorly absorbed internally by the body or when it is deactivated by enzymes as it passes through the digestive tract.

Why is it important to keep a medication log?

Keeping a log can take one burden from your heavy load.

What does it mean when a patient swallows a pill?

Give the Medicine Through the Right Route. If a medication is ordered to be given orally, that means your patient will need to swallow it. If swallowing pills is a problem for your patient, always tell your doctor or nurse. You may also ask the pharmacist if the medication comes in a liquid form.

What are the 5 rights of a patient?

Medication errors, or mistakes involving medications, are so common that in the medical profession we have the “5 Rights” to help us avoid them. The Five Rights are: 1 The right dose 2 The right medication 3 The right patient 4 The right route 5 The right time

How to ensure the safety of a patient?

Taking simple steps such as following the “5 rights” and keeping accurate logs can help ensure the safety of your patient or loved one. Giving medications properly can enhance the comfort and quality of life of the one you are caring for.

Can you give medication with a measuring spoon?

There can be wide variations in stirring spoons, and even calibrated measuring spoons, so it is best to always give the medication with the measuring device the pharmacist gives you . Pills can be just as tricky. You may have a prescription that calls for 1/2 tablet of a medication.

Should you give medication in the home?

There should be one thing added to the list when giving medication in the home: the right storage. This method has helped avoid a lot of accidents involving medicines in hospitals and other healthcare settings and can help you avoid accidents in your home as well. If you are in charge of giving medications to someone you are caring for, ...

Can you crush a medicine?

You should never crush a medication and put it in something, like applesauce, unless the doctor, nurse, or pharmacist tells you it’s OK. Some medications are extended release, meaning that they give a set dose of medication at regular intervals throughout the day.

What are the rights of medication administration?

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.

Why use two patient identifiers?

Thank you for your question. The use of two patient identifiers is one of the National Patient Safety Goals of the Joint Commission. Here's the rationale for this "first, to reliably identify the individual as the person for whom the service or treatment is intended; second, to match the service or treatment to that individual." http://www.jointcommission.org/assets/1/6/2015_npsg_hap.pdf

Do you double check when giving a dose?

Double-check that you are giving the ordered dose at the correct time.

How do you take medication?

Depending on what your doctor prescribed, your oral medication can be swallowed, chewed, or placed under your tongue to dissolve. Medications that you swallow travel from your stomach or intestine into your bloodstream and then are carried to all parts of your body.

What to do if you have trouble swallowing a pill?

If you have any questions about this, ask your pharmacist. If you have trouble swallowing your medication, tell your doctor and pharmacist. They may be able to provide you with a liquid form of the medication or a pill that is smaller and easier to swallow. Swallowing Problems: What You Need to Know.

How are oral medications released?

Other Forms of Oral Medications. Although most oral medications are swallowed, some are released in the mouth by chewing, dissolving slowly or melting on the tongue. Many of these medications are sold over-the-counter.

What are some examples of medicated lozenges?

Examples of medicated lozenges include Commit (nicotine) and Cepacol (benzocaine).

Where are sublingual and buccal meds placed?

Sublingual and Buccal Medications. Certain medications are placed under the tongue (sublingual) or between the teeth and the cheek (buccal). These medications are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream through the lining of the mouth and are used to relieve symptoms almost immediately.

How to swallow a tablet of water?

Tilt your head back and keep your mouth sealed around the water bottle. Don't let any air into your mouth. Suck the water into your mouth and swallow the tablet and water.

Where is the liquid medicine cup?

Many over-the-counter liquid medications come with a small medicine cup attached to the top of the bottle. If the medication has been prescribed for an infant or young child, make sure to speak with your pediatrician about the proper dosage, or amount, of liquid medication for your child.