3. INTERPRETATION OF DRUG LABELS, DRUG ORDERS, BAR CODES, MAR AND eMAR, AUTOMATION OF MEDICATION DISPENSING ADMINISTRATION, AND ABBREVIATIONS



INTERPRETATION OF DRUG LABELS, DRUG ORDERS, BAR CODES, MAR AND eMAR, AUTOMATION OF MEDICATION DISPENSING ADMINISTRATION, AND ABBREVIATIONS


Objectives




INTERPRETATION OF DRUG LABELS


Pharmaceutical companies label drugs with their brand name of the drug in large letters and the generic name in smaller letters. The form of the drug (tablet, capsule, liquid, or powder) and dosage are printed on the drug label.


Many of the calculation problems in this book use drug labels. By using drug labels, the student can practice solving drug problems that are applicable to clinical practice. The student should know what information is on a drug label and how this information is used in drug calculations. All drug labels provide seven basic items of data: (1) brand (trade) name, (2) generic name, (3) dosage, (4) form of the drug, (5) expiration date, (6) lot number, and (7) name of the manufacturer.


EXAMPLE

DRUG LABEL


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a. The brand (trade) name is the commercial name given by the pharmaceutical company (manufacturer of the drug). It is printed in large, bold letters.


b. The generic name is the chemical name given to the drug, regardless of the drug manufacturer. It is printed in smaller letters, usually under the brand name.


c. The dosage strength is the drug dose per drug form (tablet, capsule, liquid) as stated on the label.


d. The form of the drug (tablet, capsule, liquid) relates to the dosage strength.


e. The expiration date refers to the length of time the drug can be used before it loses its potency. Drugs should not be administered after the expiration date. The nurse must check the expiration date of all drugs that he or she administers.


f. The lot number identifies the drug batch in which the medication was produced. Occasionally, a drug is recalled according to the lot number.


g. The manufacturer is the pharmaceutical company that produces the brand name drug.


Examples of drug labels are given, and practice problems for reading drug labels follow the examples.



EXAMPLE

ORAL DRUG (LIQUID FORM)


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EXAMPLE

INJECTABLE DRUG


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Military Time versus Traditional (Universal) Time


Many nursing settings currently are using military time, a 24-hour clock, when administering medications and treatments. For example, in military time, 3 AM is 0300 and 3 PM is 1500; 7:15 AM is 0715 and 7:30 PM is 1930. The AM hours are the same as on the traditional clock, and for hours after 12 noon, 12 is added to the PM hours; see Figure 3-1. The use of the 24-hour clock reduces drug administration errors.


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Figure 3-1 Military clock.


DRUG DIFFERENTIATION


Some drugs with similar names, such as quinine and quinidine, have different chemical drug structures. Extreme care must be exercised when administering drugs that “look alike” or have similar spellings.


EXAMPLES

PERCOCET


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PERCODAN


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Percocet contains oxycodone and acetaminophen, whereas Percodan contains oxycodone and aspirin. A patient may be allergic to aspirin or should not take aspirin; therefore it is important that the patient be given Percocet. Read the drug labels carefully.


EXAMPLES

HYDROXYZINE AND HYDRALAZINE


Hydroxyzine is an antianxiety drug, and hydralazine is an antihypertensive drug.


EXAMPLES

QUINIDINE AND QUININE


Quinidine sulfate is an antidysrhythmic drug, and quinine sulfate is an antimalarial drug.



Drug Orders


Medication orders may be prescribed and written by a physician (MD), an osteopathic physician (DO), a dentist (DDS), a podiatrist (DPM), nurse practitioner (NP), or a licensed health care provider (HCP). Drug prescriptions in private practice or in clinics are written on a small prescription pad and are filled by a pharmacist at a drug store or hospital (Figure 3-2). For hospitalized patients, the drug orders may be written on a doctor’s order sheet and signed by the physician or licensed HCP (Figure 3-3), or a computerized drug order system may be used. If the order is given by telephone (TO), the order must be cosigned by the physician within 24 hours. Most health care institutions have policies concerning verbal or telephone drug orders. The nurse must know and follow the institution’s policy.




The basic components of a drug order are (1) date and time the order was written, (2) drug name, (3) drug dosage, (4) route of administration, (5) frequency of administration, and (6) physician’s or HCP signature. It is the nurse’s responsibility to follow the physician’s or HCP’s order, but if any one of these components is missing, the drug order is incomplete and cannot be carried out. If the order is illegible, is missing a component, or calls for an inappropriate drug or dosage, clarification must be obtained before the order is carried out.


Examples of drug orders and their interpretation are as follows:


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Feb 11, 2017 | Posted by in PHARMACY | Comments Off on 3. INTERPRETATION OF DRUG LABELS, DRUG ORDERS, BAR CODES, MAR AND eMAR, AUTOMATION OF MEDICATION DISPENSING ADMINISTRATION, AND ABBREVIATIONS

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