Principles of Drug Administration

Principles of Drug Administration

• Repeated drug administration can lead to decreased effectiveness; dose increases may be necessary.
• Double-check drug calculations with another nurse if uncertain.
• Only the nurse who prepares medication should administer it.
• Always check medication labels and compare with written orders.
• Verify the patient's identification using ID bands and charts.
• Observe the "10 rights" of medication administration, a fundamental principle.
• Right Medication: verify three times.
• Right Dose: ensure accurate drug computation.
• Right Time: administer at scheduled intervals.
• Right Route: correct method of delivery.
• Right Client: confirm the patient's name and compare with the ID band.
• Right Client Education: inform patients about their medications, including purpose, possible side effects, and necessary monitoring.
• Right Documentation: record medication administration accurately.
• Right to Refuse: educate patients on the significance of their medication if they refuse.
• Right Assessment: evaluate the patient before giving medication.
• Right Evaluation: monitor patient outcomes after medication administration.

Routes of Administration

• Oral medications are convenient but not suitable for vomiting patients.
• Avoid crushing medications that have sustained release, enteric coating, buccal or sublingual forms.
• For patients with swallowing difficulties, advise taking with ample water.

Pediatric Drug Calculations

• Clark’s Rule applies: child’s dose calculation based on weight and adult dose.
• Young’s Rule considers a child's age in relation to an adult dose.
• Fried's Rule uses months of age for dose calculation.

Pharmacokinetics

• Pharmaceutics: initial phase of oral drug action where solid forms convert to liquid in the stomach.
• Drug absorption is influenced by factors like preparation form, acidic environments, solubility, and food presence.
• Drug distribution occurs once in the bloodstream, followed by metabolism primarily in the liver.
• First Pass Metabolism can reduce the bioavailability of oral medications.
• Drug excretion primarily takes place in the kidneys.

Drug Action and Interactions

• Primary effects: desired physiological responses; secondary effects can be either desirable or undesirable.
• Possible drug interactions can have additive, synergistic, potentiating, or antagonistic effects.
• Idiosyncratic reactions arise from genetic differences affecting drug response.
• Drug toxicity refers to harmful effects due to overdose or accumulation in the bloodstream.

Pharmacodynamics

• Study of drug effects on the body.
• Drug affinity: how well a drug binds to its receptor; drug efficacy: the ability to activate that receptor.
• Agonists activate receptors; antagonists block receptor activation.
• Maximal efficacy: point beyond which increasing dosage does not escalate therapeutic response.
• Potency: amount of drug required to elicit a specific response; more potent drugs achieve effects at lower doses.
• Therapeutic Index (TI): ratio of toxic dose to effective dose; a higher TI indicates a safer drug.

Parameters of Drug Action

• Onset: time from administration to first observable effect.
• Peak: highest concentration of the drug's effectiveness in the blood.
• Duration of Action: length of time the drug maintains therapeutic effects.

Test your knowledge on the essential principles of drug administration in nursing. This quiz covers important protocols such as the '10 rights' of medication administration and the significance of accurate calculations and verification processes. Perfect for nursing students and professionals seeking to reinforce their understanding of safe medication practices.