Chapter 47: Abbreviated Medication Names Quiz

Abbreviations and Symbols

• MgSO4: magnesium sulfate
• TIW: 3 times weekly
• HS: hour of sleep or bedtime
• SC/SQ: subcutaneously
• IN: intranasal
• u/IU: units
• μ/mcg: microgram
• x3d: times 3 days
• cc: mL
• &/+: and
• / : per
• AD/AS/AU: right ear, left ear, both ears
• OD/OS/OU: right eye, left eye, both eyes
• D/C: discharge or discontinue

Medication Prescriptions

• Providers must re-prescribe some medications (opioids and antibiotics) within a specific amount of time or they will automatically discontinue
• Medication prescriptions must be written on the client's medical record
• Facility's policy specifies how much time the provider has to sign the prescription

Single or One-Time Prescriptions

• A single or one-time prescription is for administration once at a specific time or as soon as possible
• These prescriptions are common for preoperative or preprocedural medications

Taking a Telephone Prescription

• Only take telephone prescriptions when absolutely necessary
• Ensure the prescription is complete and correct by reading it back to the provider
• Verify the client's name, medication name, dosage, time to give, frequency, and route
• Use aids to ensure correct spelling and state numbers separately

Rights of Safe Medication Administration

• Right client: verify clients' identification before each medication administration using two client identifiers (e.g. name, assigned identification number)
• Right medication: correctly interpret medication prescriptions, verifying completeness and clarity

Medication Nomenclature

• A medication has multiple names: generic, chemical, and trade names.
• Generic name: official or nonproprietary name given by the United States Adopted Names Council (e.g., acetaminophen).
• Chemical name: a medication's chemical composition (e.g., N-acetyl-para-aminophenol).
• Trade name: brand or proprietary name given by the manufacturer (e.g., Tylenol, Tempra).

Toxic Effects and Interactions

• Medications can have specific risks and manifestations of toxicity (e.g., gentamicin can cause hearing loss).
• Interactions can occur between medications, resulting in beneficial or harmful effects (e.g., atenolol and nifedipine).
• Medications can also interact with food, increasing or decreasing their effects.

Prescriptions

• Stat prescription: administration once and immediately (e.g., digoxin 0.125 mg IV bolus stat).
• Now prescription: administration once, but up to 90 min from when the nurse received the prescription.

Mechanism of Action and Therapeutic Effect

• Mechanism of action: how the medication produces its therapeutic effect (e.g., glipizide stimulates pancreatic islet cells to release insulin).
• Therapeutic effect: the expected effect (physiological response) for which the nurse administers the medication to a specific client (e.g., diphenhydramine to relieve allergies or induce sleep).

Adverse Effects

• Adverse effects: undesirable and potentially dangerous responses to a medication (e.g., inadvertent or predictable).

Medication Classification

• Medications are classified based on their pharmacological action, therapeutic use, body system target, chemical makeup, and classification for use during pregnancy (e.g., lisinopril: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and antihypertensive).

Nurse Responsibilities

• Nurses must have knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, and facilities' policies that govern the prescribing, dispensing, and administration of medications.
• Nurses must prepare and administer medications, evaluate clients' responses, and develop and maintain an up-to-date knowledge base of medications they administer.