University of Mindanao

College of Health Sciences Education

2nd
Term Semester, SY: 2022-2023

PHARMACOLOGY

Prof. Dennis Cayabyab Padernilla, RN., MN

Objectives
: Identify
1.
orders.
common abbreviations and symbols used for medication

2. List the six parts of a medication order and the two additional
items required on a prescription blank.
3. Describe the responsibilities of the health care worker regarding
verbal and telephone orders for medications.
4. Interpret medication orders correctly.
5. Compare and contrast the three system of measurement.
6. Convert dosages from one system to another by use of the tables
for metric, apothecary, and household equivalents.
7. Describe appropriate patient education for those who will be
measuring and administering their own medications.
8. Define the key terms.
Abbreviation
s
• Interpretation of the medication order is the first responsibility
when preparing medication for administration.
• Knowledge of abbreviations and symbols is essential for
accurate interpretations
Common
Abbreviation
s
Medication Orders
• Date
• Patient’s name
• Medication name
• Dosage or amount
of medication
• route or manner
of administration
• Time to be
administered, or
frequency
• Medication orders must always ne written and signed by a
physician.
• In an emergency the physician may give a verbal order (VO). It is
the responsibility of the health care worker to repeat the
order (medication and amount) before administration and to
write down, amount, and time of administration as soon as it is
given. The physician will sign the medication order after the
emergency.
• Telephone order (TO) – always obtain the name of the person
calling in the order and write the name of that person and the
time the call was made next to the medication ordered.
• Also repeat all the details regarding the medication,
dosage, frequency.
Types of Medication Orders:
• STAT order – needed immediately
• Single order – given only once
• PRN order – given as needed
• Routine orders – given within 2 hours of being written and carried
out on schedule.
• Standing order – written in advance carried out under
specific circumstances.
 To carry out medication order
accurately, the person administering
medications must have an
understanding of the different
systems of measurements.
Apothecary system of measurement
• Measuring liquids - minim, fluid dram, fluid ounce, pint, quart, and
gallon.
• Measuring solid weights – grain, dram, pounds, kilogram
Metric Apothecary Household
1 ml 15 m

grain – gr 5 ml 1 dr 1 tsp.
minim - m, 15 ml 4 dr 1 tbsp.
min drop –
30 ml 1 oz 2 tbsp.
gtt dram – dr
pint – pt 240 ml 8 oz 1 measuring cup (240ml)
quart - 500 ml 1 pt (16 oz.) 1 pt.
qt
1,000 ml 1 qt (32 oz.) 1 qt.
 Apothecary system of measurement
Metric (Grams) Metric (Milligrams) Apothecary
1g 1,000 mg 15 gr.
0.6 g 600 mg 10 gr.
0.5 g 500 mg 7 ½ gr.
0.3 g 300-325 mg* 5 gr.
0.2 g 200 mg 3 gr.
0.1 g 100 mg 1 ½ gr.
0.06 g 60-65 mg* 1 gr
0.05 g 50 mg ¾ gr.
0.03 g 30 mg ½ gr.

Note: Pounds-Kilograms (kg)

Conversion 1 pound = 0.453592 kg
1 kg – 2.2 pounds (lb)