Medications Flashcards
Meds are commonly taken to
Promote health Eliminate an illness Control a disease Reduce Symptoms of an illness Alter or change a behavior
Desired effect
The med is working as intended; produces desired or therapeutic result
No apparent desired effect
Med is not working as intended; resident is still experiencing the problem
Unwanted effect
Side effects or adverse reactions
Common side effects to look for
Rashes Vomiting Fainting Confusion Lightheadedness Mental status changes Urinary incontinence Dry mouth
More common side effects
Diarrhea Nausea Blurred vision Lethargy Agitation Constipation
Drug interactions can cause these symptoms
Nausea Drowsiness Listing (leaning) Vomiting Blurred vision Dizziness Confusion
Anticoagulants
Blood thinners that can cause gums to bleed (soft Brussel toothbrush) or unexplained bruising (contact nurse)
Inhalants or puffers
Control symptoms of asthma
Relieve symptoms of lung disease
Nose/ eye drops
Ask resident to lie down or sit up
Abnormal symptoms after otic meds
Sharp pain in ear
Burning sensation in ear
Ringing or buzzing sounds in ear
Eye drops
Form a pouch in the lower eyelid with index finger, don’t put cap down to prevent contamination, have Kleenex to wipe their eye
To prevent eye drops from dripping
Put pressure on medial side with eyes closed. Also keeps meds in longer
What to do when an error occurs
Stop what you’re doing and tell the nurse; file an incident report
If a resident refuses
Find out why
Explain importance/ encourage
Three attempts
Document in MAR
Dropped/ contaminated
If resident doesn’t want, give to nurse to discard
Sign balance sheet and note the wasted med
Giving the right meds
Compare the label to MAR three times
The six R’s
Right resident Right drug Right dosage Right time Right route Right record/ documentation
Med delivery
Radio nurse (9:30am) Sign for special delivery after nurse hours
Where should syringes and needles be placed
The bio-hazardous sharps container
Red box
Sharps box
Reasons meds cannot be returned to pharmacy
Expired Opened or partially used Contaminated Discontinued control medication Discontinued over the counter
Medication information
Name of drug Drug dosage Form of drug Quantity of med Route to be taken by Frequency of administration Caution warnings
More med information
Number of refills Original date prescription was filled (and refill date) Expiration date Name of manufacturer Prescription number Drug enforcement agency (DEA) number
Reasons a medication may be discontinued
No longer needs the med No apparent effect Unwanted side effects No longer takes prescribed form of med Route is ineffective Dosage is ineffective Frequency is ineffective
