Lecture Math for the pharmacy technician Concepts and calculations Chapter 4 – Lynn M. Egler, Kathryn A. Booth

Math for the Pharmacy Technician:
Concepts and Calculations
Egler • Booth

Chapter 4: Drug Orders

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4-2

Drug Orders

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4-3

Learning Objectives
When you have successfully completed Chapter 4, you will
have mastered skills to be able to:






Summarize the Rights of Medication
Administration.
Interpret a written drug order.
Identify on the information on a
medication order needed to dispense
medications.

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Learning Objectives





(con’t)

Locate on medication administration
records or medication cards the
information needed to administer
medication.
Recognize incomplete drug orders.
Select appropriate action for
confusing, incomplete, or illegible
drug orders.

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Learning Objectives







(con’t)

Identify and verify DEA numbers.
Recognize classifications of
controlled substances.
Recognize prescription errors and
forged or altered prescriptions.
Interpret and use pharmaceutical
and medical abbreviations and
terminology.

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Introduction




In order to correctly calculate a
medication dose, you must be able to
read and understand the drug order.
This chapter will discuss:





Drug orders
Patient’s rights
Medication administration systems
Your responsibilities

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The Rights of Medication
Administration

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
Right

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patient
drug
To prevent
dose
errors, check
route
the rights!
time
technique
documentation

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Right Patient
You are responsible if an error occurs.
 Name on original order must be exactly
the same as the name on the Medication
Administration Record (MAR),
medication card, or prescription.
 Verify the full name.
 Ask “What is your name?”
 Check the bed number and tag.
 Read the patient’s identification
bracelet.
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Right Drug








Only give drugs that you have
prepared yourself.
Or that are clearly and completely
labeled.
Check the expiration date.
If the patient questions a
medication, then recheck it.
A patient always has the right to
refuse a medication.
Dispose of medicine according to
facility guidelines.

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Right Drug


(con’t)

Always check medication
three times:
1. when you take it off the
shelf.

2. when you prepare it.
3. when you replace it on the
shelf.



Check it three times even if
it is prepackaged, labeled,
and ready to be
administered.

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Right Dose
Later you will learn how to convert from
the dosages ordered by the doctor to
the desired dose.
 Use extreme caution when calculating
dosages.
 Pay special attention to decimal points.

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Right Route



A drug intended for one route is
often not safe if administered via
another route.
Some medications are produced in
different versions for different
routes.
 For example: suppositories, oral
tablets, or injections



Be especially careful between
ophthalmic and otic routes.

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Right Time





Some medications must be given at
a specific time.
Some medications are given before
or after food, depending on fooddrug interactions.
Other medicines can be spaced over
waking hours.

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Right Technique


Medications must be given correctly
according to the order. For example:





Buccal -- between cheek and gum
Sublingual -- under the tongue

If unsure, check references materials.
Examples:
Physicians’ Desk Reference (PDR)
Facts and Comparisons
Remington: The Science and Practice of
Pharmacy

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Right Documentation
 Be sure that the right documentation

is completed.
For example, inpatient facilities
administer medication to the patient.
The health professional who
administered the medication must,
immediately after the patient takes
the medication, sign the medication
administration record (MAR)

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Physician’s Orders and
Prescriptions

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Abbreviations used when writing orders:
 general abbreviations
 form of medication
 route
 frequency
 You will be expected to have these
memorized.
 See the next slides for a review of Table
4-2
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4-17

Table 4-2 Abbreviations Commonly
Used in Drug Orders

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4-18

Table 4-2 Abbreviations Commonly
Used in Drug Orders (con’t)

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4-19

Table 4-2 Abbreviations Commonly
Used in Drug Orders (con’t)

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4-20

Table 4-2 Abbreviations Commonly
Used in Drug Orders (con’t)

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4-21

Abbreviations
Joint Commission on Accreditation of
Healthcare Organization (JCAHO) has
established a list of “Do Not Use” and
“Undesirable” abbreviations.
See Tables 4-3 and 4-4 on the following
slides.
Be certain to check abbreviations
carefully when reading drug orders.
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Table 4-3 “Do Not Use” Abbreviations

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Table 4-4 “Undesirable” Abbreviations

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Table 4-4 “Undesirable” Abbreviations
(con’t)

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General Abbreviations
a, a

before

BP

blood pressure

c, c

with

NKA

no known allergies

NPO
p, p
s

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nothing by mouth
after
without
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