Medication administration is one of the most important tasks in healthcare.
It requires great responsibility and proper medication training to ensure that patients receive the right medicines only.
So, whether you give patients their medicine yourself or delegate the tasks to other workers, make sure to have taken this course from a reputable company that provides OHS training. The Australian platform has the best programs to develop your team into high performers.
Until then, give this article a read to learn what are the seven rights of medication administration!
1. Right Medicinal Drug
Administering the correct medicinal drug is crucial to ensure that the patient receives the intended therapeutic benefits. This involves verifying the drug name and formulation against the prescription to avoid errors.
Remember, similar-sounding medications can lead to serious health risks if administered incorrectly.
2. Right Patient
Often, the hospital has many patients with either the same name or health conditions. Their treatments might be similar, which can confuse the worker administrating medicines. Sadly, this mistake has grave consequences.
So, always ensure the medication is given to the correct person by checking the patient’s identity using two identifiers. These can include the patient’s full name, date of birth, age, doctor’s name, and patient ID.
3. Right Time
Timing is really important in healthcare. If you give a diabetic patient their insulin a few seconds late, they can die. This is how important timing is and must not be compromised at any cost.
Your healthcare work should adhere to prescribed schedules, whether it’s a specific time of day or at intervals, to maximize efficacy and minimize potential side effects or interactions.
4. Right Amount
Giving the right amount or dose of medication is essential to achieve the desired effect without causing toxicity. This involves careful measurement and verification of the prescribed dose. You may consider factors like patient weight, age, and kidney function to ensure safe and effective treatment.
5. Right Route
Medicines are administered through different routes. Examples include oral, intravenous, and intramuscular. Doctors prescribe a specific route to ensure proper medicine absorption and better results.
Healthcare workers must ensure the right route by following the prescribed method to ensure the medication reaches the intended site of action, as different routes can significantly alter drug efficacy and safety.
6. Right Documentation
Documents may not have instant effect on the patient, but it goes a long way. The right paperwork ensures that current as well as future doctors can review the patient’s history properly and recommend treatment accordingly.
The documents also help in billing the patient correctly. Healthcare workers can ensure this right by recording details such as the drug name, dose, time, route, and any observations.
7. Right Response
Lastly – but most importantly, healthcare workers must ensure the right response to the medicine administration. The doctor always recommends the right drugs for the patient but sometimes, things can happen.
So, monitor the patient’s response to the medication and ensure there are no adverse or unexpected reactions. If you come across an incorrect response, contact the doctor immediately to prevent things from worsening.
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