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Medication orders that are
unclear, incomplete, or ambiguous should be questioned to avoid errors.
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Medication or drug order is
the written prescription for a drug.
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A complete drug order must include
the full name of pt, the name of the drug, route of admin, how often to be given, date and time written, and signature of prescriber.
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Checking any conversions and calculations for a divided dose
with another colleague is recommended at all times as a medication safety measure.
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Topical medications
are instilled in the form of eyedrops or eardrops, or applied ointments, pastes, or lotions to the skin or mucous membrane.
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Stat orders indicate
that the order has top priority and the medication must be administered without delay.
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All medication orders are
automatically canceled whenever a pt undergoes surgery or general anesthesia. new orders must be written after surgery, even for routine medications.
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Unit dose system is
considered safest because the dose prescribed is the dose dispensed.
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If three or more unit-dose packages are required to achieve the dose
recheck the order and your calculations.
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Legally controlled substances
must be under lock and key at all times.
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Ointments are
medicines manufactured in an oily base, such as petrolatum or lanolin, which keeps drug in prolong contact with skin surface to obtain soothing and anti-inflammatory effect.
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Lotions and liniments are
topical in liquid form such as calamine lotion which are used to cool, soothe, and reduce inflammation or itching of skin.
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Pastes are
stiffer in consistency than ointments and do not melt at body temp.
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Suppositories are
small cylinder shaped, semisolid substances that are inserted into body orifices such as rectum, vagina, urethra, or ostomy stoma.
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Spansule are
time-released pellets put into a capsule.
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Any water that is used
must be entered on the intake sheet if the patient is on intake and output recording.
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Sublingual meds
are placed under the tongue.
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Buccal meds
are placed in the pocket between the teeth and the cheek.
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Opthalmic meds
may be in the form of drops, ointment, or an eye disk.
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Otic (ear) meds
is mostly used in children to decrease the pain of the otitis media, also used to treat external otitis and to soften cerumen (earwax)
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Nasal meds
used as decongestants, antihistamines, antibiotic, or steroid depending on need. one to two squirts per nostril.
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Metered-dose Inhaler is
held in front of the mouth, cylinder for the inhalant is depressed, and a spray of medication is released.
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5 groups of drugs dispensed in inhalers for treatment of lungs.
- 1. Beta-agonist
- 2. Anticholinergics
- 3. Corticosteroids
- 4. Leukotriene modifiers
- 5. Antiallergics
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Douche
is a vaginal irrigation.
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Transdermal meds
are supplied in a sustained-release patch that is applied to clean, dry, hairless skin and left in place, or as paste that is spread on a small area of skin.
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Rectal meds
are to prevent vomiting, soothe hemorrhoids, prevent bladder spasms, promote bowel evacuation, and reduce fever.
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Medications that should not be crushed and administered through the tube
are sublingual or buccal, enteric-coated, or sustained-release prearations or products with a carcinogenic potential.
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