8 Laws of drug administration

There’s a great likelihood that a few of you didn’t know that along with the well-known Medication Law of 5, some experts have added 3 to the list. When it involves patient safety, there’s never a nasty time to review some basic information and increasing awareness of newer recommendations.

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Drug administration laws

1. The right patient

• Check the name on the order and the name of the patient.
• Use 2 IDs.
• Ask the patient to introduce himself.
• If possible, use technology (for instance, a barcode system).

2. The right medications

• Check the drugs label.
• Check your order.

3. The right dose

• Check your order.
• Confirm dose appropriateness using current drug reference.
• If mandatory, calculate the dose and ask one other nurse to also calculate the dose.

4. The right route

• Re-check the order and appropriateness of the route you have got ordered.
• Confirm that the patient can take or receive the medication via the route ordered.

5. The right time

• Check the frequency of ordered medications.
• Double check that you just are giving your ordered dose at the suitable time.
• Confirm when the last dose was administered.

6. Proper documentation

• Providing documents AFTER the ordered medicine has been administered.
• Plot time, route and other details if mandatory. For example, the injection site or any lab results or vital signs that needs to be checked before the medication is run.

7. The right reason

• Confirm the rationale for the medication ordered. What is the patient’s history? Why is he taking this medicine?
• Re-examine the explanations for long-term medication use.

8. The right response

• Make sure the drugs has the specified effect. Did your blood pressure improve after taking antihypertensive medication? Does the patient verbalize improvement in depression while taking antidepressants?
• Patient monitoring and every other appropriate nursing interventions needs to be documented.

Safely administering medications and reducing medication errors needs to be the goal of everyone involved in health care. Medication administration rights help ensure patient safety and consistency of nursing practice.

Reference to drug administration rights

Nursing2012 Medication Manual. (2012). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins: Philadelphia, PA.