NURS 232 Introduction to Medication Administration

Medication Administration

  • Instructor: M Webb VBI

Medication: Concepts

  • Medications are available in various forms.

  • The form dictates the route of administration.

  • Composition influences absorption and metabolism.

  • Verify the correct form as many medications come in several formats.

Medication: Forms

Types of Medications

  • Caplet: Capsule-shaped, coated for easier swallowing.

  • Capsule: Contains powder, liquid, or oil in a gelatin shell.

  • Tablet: Compressed powder.

  • Enteric Coated: Designed to dissolve in the small intestine.

Additional Forms

  • Time Release: Contain granules with different coatings, dissolve slowly.

  • Lozenge: Dissolves in the mouth.

  • Elixir: Medication mixed with water or alcohol, flavored.

  • Syrup: Medication dissolved in a sugar solution.

Further Medication Forms

  • Suspension: Drug particles in a liquid medium that settle over time.

  • Solution: Sterile preparation with water and dissolved compounds (e.g., IM, SQ, IV).

  • Lotion: Liquid suspension for skin use.

  • Ointment: Semisolid preparation (salve).

Specialized Forms

  • Transdermal Disk/Patch: Semi-permeable membrane applied to the skin.

  • Suppository: Solid drug mixed with gelatin for insertion into body cavities to melt.

Medication: Actions

Key Concepts

  • Medication Category/Class: Defined by pharmacological action, therapeutic use, target body system, chemical makeup, and pregnancy classification.

  • Adverse Effects: Undesirable responses to medication.

  • Preparation, Dosage, Administration: Know specific considerations for preparation, safe dosages, calculations, and administration methods.

  • Mechanism of Action: How medications produce therapeutic effects, also known as expected pharmacologic action.

  • Toxic Effects: Risks associated with prolonged usage or build-up in the body, due to metabolism or excretion issues.

  • Nursing Implications: Monitor therapeutic and adverse effects, prevent and treat them, provide comfort, and instruct clients on safe medication use.

  • Therapeutic Effect: The expected physiological response from medication administration.

  • Medication Interactions: Medications can affect each other or interact with substances causing beneficial or harmful effects.

Medication Safety

Right Practices

  1. Client

  2. Documentation

  3. Medication

  4. Client Education

  5. Dose

  6. Right to Refusal

  7. Time

  8. Assessment

  9. Route

  10. Evaluation

Serum Measurement Terms

  • Serum Half-life: Time for serum medication concentration to decrease by half.

  • Onset: Time for medication to produce a response post-administration.

  • Peak: Time when medication reaches highest effective concentration.

  • Trough: Minimum serum concentration before the next dose.

  • Duration: Time the medication concentration is sufficient to produce a response.

  • Plateau: Maintained blood serum concentration.

Medication: Dose Response

Key Concepts

  • Plasma Drug Concentration

  • Duration

  • Time

  • Toxic Concentration

  • Therapeutic Range

  • Minimum Effective Concentration

Graphical Representation of Concentration

  • Illustration indicating the relationship between half-life and concentration over time.

Dosing Considerations

  • Dosing frequency is often based on half-life; some drugs require multiple daily doses due to their elimination rate.

Study Guidance

  • Questions regarding studying pharmacology can be addressed through collaborative methods or resources.