Basic Patient Care – Session 4 Introduction to Drugs Administration-1
Complete NTA Level 4 study notes presented in a clean, mobile-friendly format.
Contents
- Session 4Introduction to Drugs Administration
- Learning Objectives
- Definition and Purposes of Drug Administration
- Purposes of Administration of Drugs
- Principles of Drug Administration
- To ensure safe administration of drugs, medical care provider has to adhere to the following principles:
- To ensure safe administration of drugs, medical care provider has to adhere to the following principles:
- Routes of Drug Administration
- Common Abbreviations used in Prescribing Drugs
- Abbreviation
- Measurements used in Drug Administration
- 1000 milligrammes (mg ) = 1 gramme
- Procedures for Safe and Proper Storage of Drugs
- It is recommended that each ward should have:
- A cupboard for drugs for external use: This cupboard is used for storing drugs which are used externally.
- Arrangement of drugs in a cupboard
- Procedure of Ordering Drugs from Pharmacy
- Before writing the requisition, the nurse In-charge should check which drugs need to be ordered.
- The nurse In-charge checks and verifies the order against the drugs brought and document.
- Important Information in the Drug Prescription Form
- A prescription has the following parts:
- Key Points
- Evaluation
- References
- I believe Only the sick patient can be willingly to accept injection through the buttock.
Lecture Notes
Session 4Introduction to Drugs Administration
Session 4Introduction to Drugs Administration
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session students are expected to be able to:
Define drug administration
Explain purposes of drug administration
Describe principles of drug administration
Mention routes of drug administration
Recognize commonly abbreviations used in drug administration
Describe measurements used in drug administration
Recognize procedures for safe and storage of drugs
Identify procedures of ordering drugs from pharmacy
Describe important information of a prescription of a drug
Definition and Purposes of Drug Administration
Definition and Purposes of Drug Administration
Drug Administration: The introduction of therapeutic agents into patients/clients body to modify the physiological aspects and in the process of assisting desired outcome.
Drug is any substance that alters physiologic function with potential for affecting health.
Medication is a drug administered for its therapeutic effects.
Purposes of Administration of Drugs
Purposes of Administration of Drugs
Drugs may be ordered for several purposes, such as for
Symptomatic relief
Curative purposes
Certain drugs are prescribed specifically to combat a specific disease
Diagnostic purposes
The diagnosis of certain diseases can be confirmed by the use of some drugs
Prophylaxis purposes
Treatment given or action taken to prevent diseases
Research purposes
Principles of Drug Administration
Principles of Drug Administration
To ensure safe administration of drugs, medical care provider has to adhere to the following principles:
Read and understand the doctor’s order before preparing the drugs.
If the medicine order is not clear or not signed consult the nurse in charge or doctor.
Wash hands before preparing or giving drugs.
Ensure that all equipments used are clean.
When you have opened the medicine cupboard make sure that you don’t go away leaving the cupboard open.
Lock it before you leave the place.
Do not administer drugs that have changed from the usual colour, smell or consistency.
To ensure safe administration of drugs, medical care provider has to adhere to the following principles:
To ensure safe administration of drugs, medical care provider has to adhere to the following principles:
Read and understand the doctor’s order before preparing the drugs.
If the medicine order is not clear or not signed consult the nurse in charge or doctor.
Wash hands before preparing or giving drugs.
Ensure that all equipments used are clean.
When you have opened the medicine cupboard make sure that you don’t go away leaving the cupboard open.
Lock it before you leave the place.
Do not administer drugs that have changed from the usual colour, smell or consistency.
To ensure safe administration of drugs, medical care provider has to adhere to the following principles:
To ensure safe administration of drugs, medical care provider has to adhere to the following principles:
Read and understand the doctor’s order before preparing the drugs.
If the medicine order is not clear or not signed consult the nurse in charge or doctor.
Wash hands before preparing or giving drugs.
Ensure that all equipments used are clean.
When you have opened the medicine cupboard make sure that you don’t go away leaving the cupboard open.
Lock it before you leave the place.
Do not administer drugs that have changed from the usual colour, smell or consistency.
Routes of Drug Administration
Routes of Drug Administration
There are various routes of drug administration depends on nature of drug preparation and mode of action.
These include
Oral route
Parenteral route
Topically route
Inhalation route
Rectal route
Common Abbreviations used in Prescribing Drugs
Common Abbreviations used in Prescribing Drugs
Prescriptions often contain abbreviated words, many of them originated from Latin.
For the sake of safety in medicine administration, health care provider must understand the meaning of these abbreviations.
Abbreviation
Abbreviation
Meaning
Aa
Of each
a.c
Before meals
ad.lib
As much as desired
Ante
Before
b.i.d
Twice each day
Cap
Capsule
IM
Intramuscular
Inj
Injection
IV
Intravenous/ into the vein.
p.c.
After meals
o.d
Once a day
p.r.n
Whenever necessary
p.o
By mouth / per oral
p.r
Per rectum /by rectum
p.v
Per vagina /by the vagina
q.i.d
4 times each day
Stat
Immediately
S.c.
Subcutaneous tissue
t.id or t.d.s
3 times each day
Tab
Tablet
Measurements used in Drug Administration
Measurements used in Drug Administration
Drugs are measured by metric measurements.
The unit of measure for volume is the litre (L).
One litre contains 1000 millilitres (ml)
Half litre contains 500 milliliters
Quarter litre contains 250 milliliters
Liquid medicines are measured in milliliters.
The unit measure for weight is the gramme (g)
1000 milligrammes (mg ) = 1 gramme
1000 milligrammes (mg ) = 1 gramme
1000 grammes = 1 kilogramme.
1,000,000 International Unit (I.U) = 1 mega unit
Mega Units (m.u)
Drops; like in eye and ear drops and immunization like polio vaccine
Procedures for Safe and Proper Storage of Drugs
Procedures for Safe and Proper Storage of Drugs
When storing drugs it is important to ensure that they are protected from heat, light and moisture which may hasten their deterioration.
The medicines which are ordered from stores are stored in the cupboards in the wards.
These cupboards should preferably be placed in the Nurses/doctor office room for the safety reasons.
It is recommended that each ward should have:
It is recommended that each ward should have
A cupboard for reagents
This is used for keeping chemical substances needed for testing
A cupboard for drugs used internally
This cupboard is used for storing drugs which are taken internally.
These drugs are stored in different apartments as follows: Oral drugs in their own cupboard and separated with tablets and liquids.
Another cupboard for injectable drugs, which are also divided into vials and ampoules in different sections from I.V drips.
A cupboard for drugs for external use: This cupboard is used for storing drugs which are used externally.
A cupboard for drugs for external use: This cupboard is used for storing drugs which are used externally.
These may include drugs such as Liniment, calamine lotion, eye and ear drops for human use
Another cupboard for antiseptics and detergents for cleansing purposes: such as dettol, methylated sprit, Lysol, savlon and others
A refrigerator: This used for storing drugs which require cool storage, such as vaccine, insulin.
A cupboard for drugs which are under Dangerous Drug Act (DDA)
Drugs such as pethidine and morphia have to be stored under a lock and key cupboard and the keys are kept by the in-charge of the ward or health facility.
Arrangement of drugs in a cupboard
Arrangement of drugs in a cupboard
For easy identification drugs can be arranged according to
Their classification, e.g. All antibiotics are arranged in one shelf and next shelf could be for analgesics or antihistamine.
Their preparation e.g. Mixtures are arranged together and suppositories are separated from ampoules.
Alphabetical order, e.g. All drugs beginning with letter ’ A’ are arranged on one shelf and those beginning with letter ‘B’ on the next shelf and so on in that logical order.
Procedure of Ordering Drugs from Pharmacy
Procedure of Ordering Drugs from Pharmacy
It is important to know the procedures of ordering drugs from the pharmacy.
The nurse In-charge of the ward is responsible for ensuring that the ward has got adequate stock of drugs at all times.
Each hospital has its own policy for ordering drugs; it is important for health care provider to make sure he/she know the policy of the hospital.
Many hospitals prefer ordering routine drugs and other supplies on a particular day of the week.
Before writing the requisition, the nurse In-charge should check which drugs need to be ordered.
Before writing the requisition, the nurse In-charge should check which drugs need to be ordered.
The In-charge has to check the patients’ files for any new drugs which have been prescribed.
The order should be written as follows
The date, name of the drug, the form in which drug is presented e.g. ampoules or tablets, strength and amount of the drug.
The nurse In-charge checks and verifies the order against the drugs brought and document.
The order is then send to the pharmacy, at the arranged time with the authorized personnel and brought to back to the ward.
The nurse In-charge checks and verifies the order against the drugs brought and document.
The drugs are arranged in the cupboard as required.
Important Information in the Drug Prescription Form
Important Information in the Drug Prescription Form
Before administration of any drug to the patient a nurse must have a doctor’s order which is known as a ‘prescription’.
However, in emergencies the doctors may give medication order verbally or by telephone and later confirm the order by signature.
A prescription has the following parts:
A prescription has the following parts
The name of the patient
The date and time of writing the order
The name of the drug
The dosage and concentration of the drug
The time and /or frequency of administration
The route of administration
Signature of the prescriber
Many hospitals have specially made prescription forms for out-patients and the medication orders for in-patients are written in each patient’s treatment sheet of the patients’ case file.
Key Points
Key Points
Administration of drugs is a skill which requires utmost care and scientific knowledge.
Drugs can be administered for several purpose e.g. curative, prophylaxis, diagnostic and research purposes.
Health care provider are required to observe ‘6 Rights’ when administering medications that are:
Right patient
Right drug
Right dose
Right time
Right route
Right prescription
Evaluation
Evaluation
What are Rights of Drug Administration?
List common abbreviations and their meaning in drug administration.
How will you arrange drugs in the cupboard in the ward/health facility/pharmacy/store?
References
References
Alexander, M.F. (2002). Nursing practice, Hospital and Home, (3rd ed.). London: Architect Inc.
MOHSW (2008). Basic Nursing Procedure. A manual for Nursing Practicing in Tanzania. Nursing services Unit (3rd ed.). Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Ministry of Health and Social welfare.
Rice, J. (2006). Principle of Pharmacology for Medical Assisting, DELMAR CENGAGE Learning.. (4th ed.) . USA, UK and Brazil.
I believe Only the sick patient can be willingly to accept injection through the buttock.
I believe Only the sick patient can be willingly to accept injection through the buttock.
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