As a general rule, when we present a medical alteration we go to the nearest medical center to consult the ailment. Often, the administration of medicines is needed to calm the symptoms that bother the patient.Therefore, the medical team must take into account a series of guidelines in each clinical case during the treatment process. In most cases, the administration of medications is carried out by the nursing group.In this way, the expert must possess a series of knowledge and ability to assess the individual conditions of each subject. You should also check the qualities of the medication and its mechanism of action.Also, the ultimate goal of drug administration will be to get a specific amount of the compound to act in the damaged area of the body. However, this end may not be achieved and an abnormal substance may accumulate in the region.In the case of being insufficient, it is possible that the disorder is not solved correctly. If the medicine has been administered excessively, it is possible that it presents toxicity on the patient. Thus, the subject will develop a series of symptoms of this problem that will indicate the error on the part of the medical group.
Drug administration process
Before the administration, therefore, a series of checks should be taken into account to avoid this kind of errors. Among them we can highlight:
Adequate medication
There is a large amount of pharmaceutical compounds that have a container or a similar name. If there is any doubt, it is important to consult with the corresponding doctor.
Review the patient’s full name
The goal is to administer the correct drug. For this, identification of the same may be required. In no case should the group of specialists be guided by the room number or other unreliable parameters.
Check current medication and possible allergies
In this way, chemical interactions between the different drugs can be avoided, which would cause an alteration in the treatment. This is because the action of the initial medication can be enhanced or decreased. On the other hand, possible allergic reactions can be avoided effectively.However, adverse reactions may develop spontaneously and may vary in severity. It is possible that the medical team needs to review the pharmacological history of the patient before proceeding with the administration of compounds.
Examine the dose
It is important to assess the amount of medication, in case it seems unbalanced for the patient. In that case, you should go to the doctor indicated to rule out any confusion in the process. The characteristics of the patient (age, sex, etc.) should also be taken into account in order to apply the most appropriate dose in each case. Likewise, the infusion rate and the amount of drug will be checked with the help of a syringe.
Administer the medication by the recommended route
Likewise, the medicine can present various forms. For example, liquid forms (such as syrups), solid forms (such as pills and tablets), etc. As a general rule, the following routes are usually used:
- Enteral
- Parenteral.
- Topical
- Intravenous or IV.
Apply the drug at the indicated time
Under no circumstances should the medication be used more than half an hour before or after the scheduled time. It is important to clarify the precise moment of the shot. For this, you can write the hours from 1 to 24 h and thus avoid errors in a simple way.
Adverse reactions
To make the patient aware of the effects and possible adverse reactions of the medications he will take. The medical team will also recommend you to learn the name of the medication and the precise time of administration. You must also learn the proper method of preservation of each drug.
Other recommendations
Other recommendations to keep in mind are to record in the patient’s history each medication that has been used immediately after its administration.Check all medical orders, do not leave medication in the patient’s room, do not borrow medicines from other rooms, etc. On the other hand, in the event of an error developing during the administration of medications, you should immediately go to the corresponding doctor or supervisor of that clinical area.