Week 2

what are the characteristics of a “good” drug? (7)

• effectively treats patient’s condition.

• produces a rapid reponse at a low dose.

• produces no adverse effects.

• can be taken conveniently (ex. by mouth).

• is inexpensive and easily accessible.

• does not interact with other drugs or food.

• is quickly eliminated from the body after producing the desired effect.

therapeutic classification

based on their usefulness in treating a particular disease

pharmacologic classification

based on the way the drug works at the molecular, tissue, and body systems level

anticoagulants, antihhyperlipidemics, and antiarrhythmics are examples of what type of drug classification?

therapeutic classification

diuretics, vasodilators, and ACES are examples of what type of drug classification?

pharmacologic classification

chemical name

assigned using standard nomenclature established by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

• helpful in predicting the drugs physical and chemical properties (ex. 1,4-benzodiazepine-2-one).

generic name

describes the chemical substance or pharmacological property of a drug

• written in lowercase letters

trade name

the proprietary or brand name, assigned by the company marketing the drug

• ex. Motrin, Advil

what are schedule 1 drugs? (4)

available only by prescription and provided by a pharmacist, includes the following:

• all prescription drugs

• drugs with less potential for abuse (schedule F)

• controlled drugs (schedule G)

• narcotic drugs

what are schedule 2 drugs?

available only from a pharmacist; must be retained in an area with no public access

what are schedule 3 drugs?

available via open access in a pharmacy area (over the counter)

what are unscheduled drugs?

can be sold in any store without professional supervision

when are the 3 checks of medication administration done?

1. when removing the drug from the medication drawer, fridge, or controlled substance cupboard.

2. when preparing the drug, pouring it, taking it out of the unit dose container, or connecting IV tubing to the bag.

3. immediately before administering the drug to the patient.

what is the enteral route and what medications are administered this way? (4)

drugs given orally & those administered through nasogastric and gastrostomy tubes:

• tablets and capsules

• sublingual (under tongue)

• buccal (between cheek and gum)

• NG & G tubes

what is the topical route and what medications are administered this way?

drugs applied locally to the skin or membrane linings of the eye, ear, nose, respiratory tract, urinary tract, vagina, and rectum.

what is the parenteral route and what medications are administered this way?

the dispensing of medications via needle, usually into the skin layers (intradermal), subcutaneous tissues, muscles, or veins.

medication incident

any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm

medication error

situations where the wrong medication is prescribed or given, the medication is improperly administered, or an incorrect dosage or protocol is used

what are the 3 steps to medication reconciliation?

1. verification

2. clarification

3. reconciliation

what is medication reconciliation and why is it important for patient safety?

the process of comparing a patient's medication orders to all of the medications that the patient has been taking.

• this reconciliation is done to avoid medication errors such as omissions, duplications, dosing errors, or drug interactions

what are the 10 rights of medication administration?

1. right drug

2. right patient

3. right dose

4. right route of administration

5. right time of delivery and frequency

6. right documentation

7. right history and assessment

8. right to refuse

9. right drug-drug interaction and evaluation

10. right education and information

adherence

taking medications in the manner prescribed by the health prescriber

what is 12:00 AM in military time?

0000

what is 12:00 PM in military time?

1200

what is 11:00 AM in military time?

1100

what is 11:00 PM in military time?

2300

what is 1 kg in lbs? in grams?

1 kg = 2.2 lbs = 1000 grams

what is 1 L in mL? cc?

1 L = 1000 mL = 1000 cc

what is 1 g in mg?

1 g = 1000 mg

what is 1 tsp in mL?

1 tsp = 5 mL

what is 1 tbsp in tsp? mL?

1 tbsp = 3 tsp = 15 mL

what is 1 oz in mL?

1 oz = 30 mL

what is 1 cup (C) in oz? mL?

1 C = 8 oz = 240 mL

how many drops (gtt) in a mL?

10-20 gtt in 1 mL

how many microdrops (mcgtt) in 1 mL?

60 mcgtt = 1 mL

what is the basic formula of the formula method?

desired dose / dose on hand X quantity = x (amount to give)

• D/H X Q = x