Administering medication for patients is an important and responsible task, which requires attention to multiple factors, such as patients’ individual needs, counter-indications, and possible complications. The wrong prescription of medication resulting in health deterioration may be connected with various aspects, such as incorrect dosage or manner of taking medicine. According to the “5Rs” rule, medication errors may be prevented by confirming the following items before making prescriptions: right drug, right patient, right route, right dose, and the right time (Kaplan Medical, 2017). Moreover, before making prescriptions, a doctor needs to perform medication reconciliation, which is the review of an individual’s complete list of drugs taken during treatment (Kaplan Medical, 2017). The purpose of this procedure is to ensure that the combination of prescribed medications will not lead to adverse effects.
Besides, it is vitally important to consider the possible risk of infection, which may depend on the severity of the patient’s disease and any other medical conditions present. For example, during surgical interventions, inappropriate antibiotic administration may result in wound infection (Kaplan Medical, 2017). To eliminate such risks, it is important to carefully plan the whole process of treatment and review the peculiarities of the patient’s health condition.
Finally, patient monitoring is essential before, during, and after taking medication. To ensure the safety of the treatment, a doctor needs to evaluate the patient’s test results and monitor other essential data, such as cardiac rate and condition of the liver and kidneys. After prescribing medication, it is necessary to note any positive or negative changes in a patient to avert health deterioration. If all these aspects are considered, the process of drug treatment will be safe and effective.
Reference
Kaplan Medical. (2017). USMLE step 2 CK lecture notes 2018: Psychiatry, epidemiology, ethics, patient safety. Simon and Schuster.