How To Administer Oral Medication And Procedure For Oral Drugs

How To Administer Oral Medication And Procedure For Oral Drugs is being discussed in this article for nurses.This knowledge will increase the knowledge of nurses in practical oral medication.

Equipment

  1. Small tray. 2. Medicine chart. 3. Ounce measure.
  2. Container with drinking water. 5. Spoon.

Procedure For Oral Medication

  • Wash your hands before handling oral drugs. Avoid hand­ling pills, tablets and capsules by tip of your fingers. Use a spoon or even the cap of a container to transfer the drug.
  • Check the drugs in your chart with that of doctors order. Sometimes by mistake you may give drugs wrongly to one patient if you do not check the bed number, the chart and order book.
  • Check the label of drug on the containers.
  • Shake liquids and make sure that the drug is evenly distribu­ted throughout. This is necessary since some drugs settles down at the bottom of container. Without shaking the drug may have adverse effect or no effect.
  • Take the medicine glass or ounce measure with left hand and’ pour the medicine measuring by putting thumb nail in your from.
  • Holding the ounce glass at eye level check the dose.
  • The drug should be supplied to the patient in a clean Con­tainer. Clean paper or cloth should be used for wrapping tablets, capsules and powders.
  • The use of a medicine glass, ounce measure or spoon is necessary to make sure that the correct dose is dispensed. Pour out liquid drug from side of the container away from the label to avoid staining or disfiguring the label waxing.
  • Disagreeable taste can be masked by mixing the drug with sugar, honey or jaggery. Avoid mixing drugs with food especially for children because they may reject the food later on.
  • For children give drugs slowly to avoid chocking. Never pinch the nose while administering drugs because the drug may be breathed into air passage causing dangerous problems. If the child does not open his mouth press the chin down or press the cheeks.
  • Record on chart the time, amount and initials of nurse giving: drugs. Any reaction after medication should be noted.
  • Tablets and capsules when administered wait till the patient swallows

Points to Remember for Oral Drugs

  • The patients may not swallow drugs.
  • The patient may vomit it out just after taking in mouth, in this case the drug may be repeated.
  • Never give oral medication to unconscious patients.
  • Avoid giving drugs to patient who is constantly vomiting.
  • If an oral drug is to be given three times a day without any further specification, it is understood to give the drug after food.
  • Slow acting purgatives are given at bed time. Mild acting are given early in the morning.
  • In medicine cup board medicines for external use and inter­nal use should be kept in separate shelves.Poisonous drugs should be kept in a separate cupboard with- labelling of ‘poison.
  • Oils should be kept over a piece of cloth or paper to prevent soiling of cup board.
  • Never administer any drug which shows change in colour,, consistency and odour.

by Abdullah Sam
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