Pharmacology Demystified

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Healthcare providers should also make sure they use the proper system of
measurement when calculating a dose (see Chapter 4 Principles of Medication
Administration).
RIGHT TIME
Is it the correct time to administer the drug? The time is specified in the drug
order and may be given a half hour before or after the stated time depending on
the policy of the hospital or healthcare facility. How often a drug is given is
dependent on the half life of the drug. A drug’s half life is the amount of time for
1 ⁄2 of the drug to be eliminated from the body. A drug with a short half life must
be administered more frequently than a drug with a long half-life in order to
maintain a therapeutic level of the drug in plasma.
The use of military time can avoid A.M. and P.M. errors.
Check if the patient is scheduled for diagnostic or other procedures that might
interfere with administration of medications. Check if the patient should receive
the medication even if they are scheduled to be NPO (nothing by mouth).
Healthcare providers should also make sure that medication is given in coordination
with meals. Some drugs must be given with meals while other drugs are
given a specific period before or after a meal.
Where possible, the medication schedule is adjusted to conform to the patient’s
lifestyle, which may differ from the normal schedule. For example, Digoxin
might be scheduled for 10 A.M. to conform to hospital policy, but the patient can
take Digoxin any time in the morning. This becomes important once the patient
is discharged and takes medication at home.
RIGHT ROUTE
CHAPTER 1 An Inside Look at Pharmacology
The healthcare provider determines the proper routine to administer the drug so
the patient’s body properly absorbs it. Here are the common routes:
• Oral (by mouth): liquid, elixir, suspension, pill, tablet, and capsule
• Sublingual (under tongue): pill, tablet, and capsule
• Buccal (between gum and cheek): pill, tablet, and capsule
• Topical (applied to skin): cream, ointment, and patch
• Inhalation (aerosol sprays): liquid
• Instillation (nose, eye, ear): liquid, cream, and ointment
• Insertion (rectal, vaginal): suppository
• Intradermal (beneath skin): injection