Parts of Drug Prescription

Essential Parts of a Drug Prescription/Order:

1. Client’s full name
2. Day, month, year and time the order was written
3. Name of the drug to be administered
4. Dosage of the drug and frequency of administration
5. Route of administration
6. Signature – an unsigned order has no validity

Medication Orders

1. Routine or Standing order – administered as ordered until discontinued by the prescriber.
2. Stat – immediately and only once.
3. One time order or Single order – meds given once at a specified time.
4. PRN (as needed order) – administered when client needs the medication.

Factors Influencing Drug Action:

1) Age – usually very young and elderly require less doses because they are highly responsive to drug
2) Body weight – the greater the body weight, the greater the dosage required
3) Sex – it depends on the concentration of a drug
soluble in fat – women because they usually have more fatty pads than men
soluble in water – men have more body fluids than women
4) Genetic Factors – a client may be abnormally sensitive to a drug or may metabolize a drug differently than others.
5) Psychological Factors – influences how one feels about a drug and what one believes it can do.
6) Illness and diseases – drug action is altered in clients with circulatory, liver or kidney dysfunction.
7) Time of administration – oral medications taken two hours before meals act faster than those taken after meals, however some medication, like iron preparations, irritate the gastrointestinal tract and need to be given after a meal.
8) Environment
9) Ethnicity and culture

Ten Rights

1. Right medication
2. Right client
3. Right time
4. Right route and administration
5. Right dose
6. Right documentation
7. Right assessment
8. Right education
9. Right frequency
10. Right order