Medication Administration and Drug Label Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering safe medication administration, medication order components, three safety checks, drug label elements, abbreviations, and controlled substance schedules based on lecture notes.

Prescriptive Authority

The legal authorization granted to licensed independent practitioners within their state of practice to write for and prescribe medications.

Just Culture

A nonpunitive organizational approach to reporting and analyzing medication errors to improve safety processes without placing sole blame on individuals.

ISMP (Institute for Safe Medication Practice)

A nonprofit agency established in $1975$ that identifies the causes of medication errors and provides evidence-based recommendations to prevent healthcare errors.

High-Alert Medications

Medications, such as insulin and opioids, that carry an increased risk of causing significant harm to the patient if administered incorrectly.

Look-Alike Sound-Alike Drugs

Drug names that are spelled or sound similar to one another, making them prone to confusion and administration errors.

Tall Man Lettering

The practice of using bold upper-case and lower-case letters to highlight distinguishing portions of similar drug names to prevent confusion (e.g., novoLOG vs novoLIN).

Six Rights of Medication Administration

The core procedural standard ensuring that the right patient receives the right drug in the right dose by the right route at the right time, followed by the right documentation.

First Check (Medication Administration)

The initial safety check performed during retrieval of medication from a dispensing system, refrigerator, or multiple-dose container to inspect the drug name and expiration date.

Second Check (Medication Administration)

The safety check performed while preparing medication, matching the medication label against the MAR or eMAR prior to placing it in a medicine cup, pouring, or drawing up.

Third Check (Medication Administration)

The final safety check performed at the bedside just prior to administration, involving barcode scanning and checking the medication label against the MAR or eMAR.

Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA)

A technology used at the bedside to scan barcodes on a patient's ID bracelet and medication label to verify administration rights alongside electronic records.

Time-Critical Medications

Medications (such as insulin, antibiotics, cardiac drugs, and hormones) that must be administered within $30\,\text{minutes}$ of their scheduled time to prevent harm or negative clinical impacts.

Parts of a Medication Order

The $7$ required components of a valid medication order: Patient name, Patient date of birth, Name of medication, Dose of medication, Route of administration, Frequency of administration, Date and time order was written, and Signature of the prescriber.

Transcribing (Medication Order)

The process of copying or entering a written or electronic provider's medication order onto the MAR or eMAR.

Routine Prescription

A medication order taken as prescribed on a regular schedule until officially discontinued by a provider.

Standing Prescription

A protocol-based medication order implemented automatically under specific clinical circumstances (e.g., administering Diltiazem if heart rate exceeds $120\,\text{beats per minute}$).

PRN Prescription

A medication order specifying the drug, dose, route, frequency, and specific clinical circumstances indicating when it should be administered as needed.

Stat Prescription

A medication order that must be administered immediately and once only.

Now Prescription

A single-time medication order that is less urgent than a stat order but must be administered within $90\,\text{minutes}$.

Generic Name

The official, nonproprietary name of an active ingredient or pharmaceutical substance (e.g., ibuprofen).

Trade Name

The proprietary brand name given to a drug by a specific manufacturer (e.g., Advil® or Motrin®).

Drug Strength

The concentration or amount of active medication present per dosage unit, expressed as a number and unit of measurement (e.g., $325\,\text{mg}$).

Dosage Strength

A label specification combining the strength of the medication with its dosage form (e.g., $20\,\text{mg}$ per tablet).

Dosage Form Categories

The physical preparation holding the active drug, categorized into Solids (capsules, tablets, gelcaps, suppositories), Liquids (oral, injectable, inhalants, drops, mists), and Other Forms (creams, ointments, patches).

Fixed Dose Combination Medications

Preparations containing two or more active ingredients, where the order and label must specify each drug name and the dosage of each active ingredient.

Multiple-Dose Container

A container holding medication for multiple doses, containing preservatives if necessary, intended for use by a single patient for a specific period of time.

Single-Dose Container

A container holding medication intended for a single use or dose, requiring any remaining excess medication to be discarded.

Reconstitution

The process of transforming a medication's physical form, such as adding a liquid diluent to liquefy a powdered solid according to manufacturer instructions.

Controlled Substances

Drugs regulated by state and federal law due to their potential for abuse, addiction, and physical or mental harm, categorized into Schedules I-V and labeled with a large 'C' containing a Roman numeral.

Schedule I Controlled Substance

Substances with the highest potential for abuse and addiction and no accepted medicinal benefit (e.g., heroin).

Schedule II Controlled Substance

Substances with accepted medicinal use but high potential for abuse and physical or psychological dependence (e.g., Oxycontin®).

Schedule III Controlled Substance

Substances with lower abuse potential than Schedule I or II, which may lead to low or moderate physical dependence or high psychological dependence (e.g., Vicodin®).

Schedule IV Controlled Substance

Controlled substances with a lower abuse potential than Schedule III drugs (e.g., Valium®).

Schedule V Controlled Substance

Controlled substances with the lowest potential for abuse or addiction, often consisting of combination drugs with a low dosage strength of an addictive substance (e.g., Robitussin AC®).

Boxed Warning

A prominent warning required by the FDA on medication labeling to alert healthcare providers to rare but potential severe or life-threatening side effects.

Frequency Abbreviations (Table 4-1)

Standard medical abbreviations denoting administration schedules, including ac (before meals), bid (twice a day), pc (after meals), prn (as needed), qid (four times a day), stat (immediately), and tid (three times a day).

Route Abbreviations (Table 4-2)

Standard shorthand abbreviations indicating administration pathways, such as GT (gastrostomy tube), IM (intramuscular), IV (intravenous), IVPB (intravenous piggyback), PO (by mouth), PR (per rectum), SL (sublingual), and subcut (subcutaneously).

Drug Form Abbreviations (Table 4-3)

Standard abbreviations denoting drug formulations, including cap (capsule), EC (enteric-coated), elix (elixir), gtt (drops), supp (suppository), susp (suspension), syr (syrup), tab (tablet), and oint/ung (ointment).

General Medication Abbreviations (Table 4-4)

Common abbreviations used in prescriptions, such as ā (before), p̄ (after), aq (water), c̄ (with), s̄ (without), NKA (no known allergies), NKDA (no known drug allergies), NPO (nothing by mouth), and qs (quantity sufficient).

Patient Observation Timeline (Table 6-1)

Clinical assessment guidelines structured around medication administration: checking allergies/condition/route prior, observing ingestion/infusion during, and reassessing efficacy/side effects/site integrity after.