Medicines Administration

Question 1

What is pharmacology?

Answer 1

The science of drugs and their effects on living systems

Question 2

What are the key elements when administering drugs?

Answer 2

PREPARATION
ROUTE
DOSE
CALCULATION

Question 3

What is pharmacotherapeutics?

Answer 3

The study of beneficial and harmful effects of drugs

Question 4

What is pharmacokinetics?

Answer 4

Absorption and distribution of medication in

the body

Question 5

What are the 4 stages of pharmacokinetics?

Answer 5

ABSORPTION
DISTRIBUTION
METABOLISM
EXCRETION

Question 6

Describe what happens during absorption?

Answer 6

During absorption the drug is released from the formulation site –> enters the bloodstream –> to the absorption site.

Question 7

Describe what happens during distribution and the factors affecting it?

Answer 7

It is the movement of the drug once in the bloodstream.
The factors affecting distribution:
- Body weight
- Solubility
- Patient clinical condition
- Drug regime

Question 8

Describe what happens during metabolism?

Answer 8

The body using the drugs and giving off the by-product.
Metabolism occurs in the liver and is where the process of making the drug soluble to allow easy excretion into the kidney.

Question 9

Describe what happens during excretion?

Answer 9

Getting rid of byproducts.
MAJOR: kidneys
MINOR: saliva,tears and breastmilk

Question 10

What is pharmacodynamics?

Answer 10

It is concerned with the effects of drugs and the mechanism of their action.

Question 11

What is a half-life of a drug?

Answer 11

The time is take for the concentration of the drug to half thus making it less effective
To prevent overdose we should take three different drugs that have different half lifes

Question 12

The way in which the drug is administered depends on?

Answer 12

• patients condition
• medication prescribed
• action of the medication

Question 13

What are the routes of administration?

Answer 13

ENTERAL

• administration through the GI Tract
• includes oral/rectal administration
• Tablets
• Capsules
• Gels
• Powders

PARENTERAL

• administration avoiding the guts
• topical
• transdermal
• intranasal

Question 14

What do you have to make sure you do before documentation?

Answer 14

Do not sign the prescription chart until the woman has had the medication.

Question 15

As midwives, what do we need to understand about drugs?

Answer 15

• what the risks are for the fetus as the drugs can transfer to the fetus.
• any side effects and how it should be taken.

Question 16

What are the 5 RIGHTS

Answer 16

RIGHT PATIENT
RIGHT DRUGS
RIGHT DOSE
RIGHT TIME 
RIGHT ROUTE

Question 17

What is the equipment needed for drug administration?

Answer 17

• valid prescription chart
• the drug
• water to swallow and/or to mix the drug
• administration equipment

Question 18

What are the DO’s and DONT’s with drug administration?

Answer 18

DO watch the woman take the medicine
DO challenge the prescription which looks incorrect
DO dispose of unused drugs safely
DO report side effects

DON’T crush tablets
DON’T mix two dispersible medicine in one cup
DON’T leave medicine at the side of the table
DON’T return unused drugs to the original container
DON’T prepare medication in advance

Question 19

What are the issues for drug storage?

Answer 19

• LIGHT
• TEMPERATURE
• TIME
• PACKAGING
• CYLINDER
• LOCKABLE

Question 20

Which form can drugs exert a

pharmacological effects in the body?

Answer 20

unbounded

Question 21

Describe the amount of the drug absorbed by the body and distributed systemically?

Answer 21

Absorption affects bioavailability—how quickly & how
much of a drug reaches its intended target (site) of
action.