PHARMACOLOGY
LECTURE
NCM 0106 MODULE 03 – RIGHTS IN GIVING MEDICATIONS: MEDICATIONS DO'S AND DON'TS
OUTLINE
I Responsible Drug Administration
II The 10 Rights of Medication Administration
RESPONSIBLE DRUG ADMINISTRATION
● RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER
○ Adequate, up-to-date information about all
medications to be administered
○ Wisdom and judgment to accurately assess
the patient’s needs for medications, to
evaluate the response to medications, and to
plan appropriate interventions as indicated
○ Patient education to provide the necessary
information to the patient and family about
why, how, and when medications are to be
administered and potential side effects and
precautions with administration by the
layperson
● Make sure to level your explanation with
the client’s understanding
○ Skill in accurate delivery of the medication in
best interests of the patient, and with
adequate documentation
● REQUIREMENTS
○ Familiarity with the medication
● Plan
○ Efficient and effective nursing
○ Reflects competency
○ Ano ‘yung sequence na gagawin
mo?
● Technical skills and know-hows
○ Kung paano i-a-administer ‘yung
gamot
● Educate patient about the medication
THE 10 RIGHTS OF MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION
1. RIGHT ASSESSMENT
● Assessment is the key to every nursing action
● Secure a copy of the client’s history to drug
interactions and allergies
○ Assess drug reconciliation
● Some medication requires specific assessment
prior to administration
○ E.g.: respiration rate, pulse rate, blood
pressure, and/or laboratory results
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AUF-CON
2. RIGHT PATIENT
● Ask the name of the client and check his/her ID
band before giving the medication
● Even if you know the patient’s name, you still need
to ask just to verify
IDENTIFYING PATIENT
● Make sure that you perform at least 2 of these
techniques to reduce the chance of error
● Wrist identification band
● Call or ask patient to state their name
○ May I have your complete name please?
○ Kapag in-announce or tinanong mo lang,
baka sabihin nila na sila ‘yon kahit naman
hindi, causing errors
● Date of birth in ambulatory care setting
3. RIGHT TO REFUSE THE MEDICATION
● The patient is an autonomous individual
● Adult clients have the right to refuse any
medication
● Explain risks to patient’s refusal and reinforce
reason for medication
● Proper documentation and referral to health care
team
● For underage clients (pediatrics), immediate
guardian will be responsible for their welfare
(administration of drug)
4. RIGHT EDUCATION
● One of the major roles of the nurse
● Educate client and the family regarding therapeutic
purpose and possible side effects of drug
● Any diet restrictions or requirement
● Skill of administration
● Laboratory monitoring
5. RIGHT DRUG
● The patient receives the drug that was prescribed
● Check and verify if it is the right name and form,
beware of look-alike and sound-like medication
names
○ Misreading medication names that look
similar is a common mistake, these look-alike
medication names may also sound alike and
 MODULE 03 – RIGHTS IN GIVING MEDICATIONS: MEDICATIONS DO'S AND DON'TS
can lead to errors associated with verbal
prescriptions
● Prescriptions: for institutionalized patients
(Telephone or verbal order)
● Drug Order: prescribed by a physician, veterinarian,
or licensed health care provider.
COMPONENTS OF A DRUG ORDER
● Date and time the order is written
● Drug name (generic preferred)
● Drug dosage
● Route of Administration
● Frequency and duration of administration
● Any special instructions for withholding or adjusting
dosage based on effectiveness or laboratory results
○ E.g.: May start antibiotic regimen after Culture
and Sensitivity (C&S).
● Physician or provider’s signature or name if TO/VO
(telephone order or verbal order)
● Signature of licensed practitioner taking TO/VO
● TO AVOID ERRORS, drug label should be read THREE
TIMES
○ At the time of contact with the drug bottle or
container
○ Before pouring the drug
○ After pouring the drug
● 📌 NOTE: Health care providers should be aware
that certain drug names sound alike and are
spelled similarly
○ Examples
● Digoxin - Digitoxin
● Quinidine - Quinine
● Keflex - Kantrex
● Demerol - Dicumarol
CONFIRMING THE RIGHT MEDICATION
● Compare the name of the drug prescribed with the
label on the package, bottle, or unit-dose packet
● Never give medication when the name of the
medication is obscured in any way
● Never give medications that someone else has
prepared
○ Kahit na nurse pa, hindi pwede. Dapat ikaw
mismo nag-prepare
● Never leave medications at the bedside unless
specifically ordered by the doctor
● Check medications minimum of three times
○ Pagkakuha sa drawer, bago i-prepare, after
i-prepare
● Check lookalike medications
○ Verify prescribed medication lalo na if
magkatunog tapos telephone/verbal orders
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● Make sure that the drug order is
COMPLETE (check components; time
and date prescribed/ordered, generic
name, drug DTR) and have it signed
(doctor) and countersigned (readback
done by the nurse)
6. RIGHT DOSE AND DOSAGE
● Check the medication sheet and the doctor’s order
before medicating
○ Be aware of the difference of an adult and a
pediatric dose
● The dose ordered is appropriate for the client
● Give special attention if the calculation indicates
multiple pills/tablets or a large quantity of a liquid
medication
○ This can be a cue that the math calculation
may be incorrect: double check calculations
that appear questionable
● Administering the right amount of drug is extremely
important
○ Drug dosage ordered must be compared
very carefully with the dose listed on the label
of the package, bottle, or unit-dose packet
● Consult a table of equivalents if
necessary to convert from one system
to another
● Calculations must be checked by
another trained healthcare practitioner,
pharmacist, or doctor to verify
accuracy
○ 📌 REMEMBER: If the patient demonstrates
doubt, DO NOT discredit. Inform them that you
will recheck the order for confirmation.
7. RIGHT ROUTE
Give the medication by the ordered route
●
Enteral (oral), parenteral (Injectable), other routes
●
Route of administration effects vary
●
○ Degree of absorption, speed of drug action,
and side effects
○ Physician’s order specifies the route of
administration
○ Route may not be changed without the
physician’s order
8. RIGHT TIME (FREQUENCY)
● Time at which the drug should be administered
● Check the order for when it would be given and
when was the last time it was given
 MODULE 03 – RIGHTS IN GIVING MEDICATIONS: MEDICATIONS DO'S AND DON'TS

● For maximum effectiveness, drugs must be given
on a prescribed schedule
● Physician’s order specifies the number of times per
day that the medicine is to be administered
○ Intervals
○ Before or after meals
○ Hour of sleep
● 📌 REMEMBER: Medication that was not taken at the
supposed time can still be given at least 30 minutes
before or after the actual time (grace period)
based on international standards
✅ Do ask the patient’s name. Do not rely on his room
and bed number (Look at the wristband)
✅ Do stay with the patient until he has taken his
medication. Do not leave the medication on the
table when he says “I’ll just take it later”
✅ Do observe the patient for any reactions of the drug
he has received
✅ Do record (and report) patient refusal to take his
medications
✅ Do chart a medication only after you have
administered it

9. RIGHT EVALUATION MEDICATION DON’TS

● Evaluation will be the key to determine the

effectiveness of the treatment done
● Patient’s response to the medication
○ Naging effective ba ‘yung treatment na
ginawa natin?
○ Nakuha ba natin yung outcome na need
natin?
● Conduct appropriate follow-up
○ Was the desired effect achieved or not?
○ Did the client experience any side effect or
adverse reaction?
10. RIGHT DOCUMENTATION
❌ Do not be distracted when preparing medications
○ Cellphones are not allowed
❌ Do not accept verbal orders except in emergencies
❌ Do not administer medications that somebody else
has prepared
❌ Do not pour drugs from one container with labels
that are difficult to read or whose labels are part
❌ Do not transfer drug from one container to another
(increases possibility of drug error)
❌ Do not push drugs into your hands
❌ Do not guess about drug dosages
○ Ask when in doubt; your question may save a
patient’s life

● Include the name of drug, dosage, route, date and

❌ Do not give medications for which the expiration
date has passed

●
time, nurse’s signature and patient’s response
NOT DOCUMENTED = NOT DONE
❌ Do not use drugs that have sediments, are
discolored or are cloudy unless specified otherwise
● Advance charting cannot be done
in the bottle

MEDICATION DO’S
❌ Do not leave medications by the bedside or with
visitors

✅ ❌ Do not leave prepared drugs out of sight

Find time to know more about the drug your patient
is receiving
❌ Do not give drugs if the patient says he/she has

✅ Check the written order for completeness and

allergies to the drug or drug group
○ Confer with the physician.
accuracy
○ Date and time
❌ Do not call the client’s name as the sole means of

✅ Give medications at designated times

identification.

✅ Keep the medication card with you as you are

○ Possible Scenario: Sinabi ng client na siya
‘yon kahit hindi kasi gusto na niyang
preparing the patients medication
✅ Observe sterile technique in the preparation and
mabigyan ng gamot
○ Make sure to use multiple means of
administration of parenteral medications
✅ Ask another nurse or your superior to check and
❌
identification.
Do not give the drug if the client states that the
verify your computation before you prepare the
drug is different from the drug he/she has been
drug
✅ Make sure your equipment is in good working
receiving. Recheck the order and the medication
first

✅
condition
Shake the bottle containing liquid medication
❌ Do not recap needles as this may increase risk for
puncture injuries. Observe the universal precaution
(especially if it is a suspension)
○ For solutions, check for debris as it might be
❌ Do not prepare the medications way ahead of the
expired already time they are to be administered

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 MODULE 03 – RIGHTS IN GIVING MEDICATIONS: MEDICATIONS DO'S AND DON'TS

REFERENCES
Synchronous Lecture: 30 Aug 22 (CI: Sir Jonas Solis)
Module: NCM 0106 - Module 03

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