2005 Edition Report on Drug Administration Procedure & Practices ...

The Principle of Three checks and Five RightsCheck patient’s identity according to the patient identification guidelines.4.99 In drug administration, the principle of “three checks and five rights” should always beobserved. These include :-(a) Careful checking BEFORE taking the medication out from thecontainer,…………(first check)(b) Careful checking AFTER removing the medication from thecontainer,………………(second check)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)Final checking of the medication against the container before disposal/putting itaway………………...(third check)Right patientRight drugRight doseRight routeRight time4.100 To ensure the practice of three checks and five rights, the related checking procedures aredescribed below :(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)READ the prescription. Ascertain which drug is due to be given. If the prescriptionis illegible, the nurse must refer back to the prescriber to have the prescription rewritten.Nurses should refer to the MAR for the administration of drugs. Transcription of thedrug order onto a separate work sheet should be avoided. The MAR for long staypatients in convalescent hospitals should be appropriately designed. It should beused as the record of administration of drugs to patients.Check the identity of the patient according to the patient identification guidelines.Check the patient’s name and that the name of the drug corresponds with theprescription. It is very important that the RIGHT patient and drug are positivelyidentified.Check the patient’s drug allergy.Check the name, strength, and expiry date of the drug (where available), the dose tobe given and route and time of administration, and that the drug order is still valid.35