Oral Medication Administration Safety
Key Points
- Oral medications are widely used and typically begin effect in about 30 to 60 minutes.
- Upright positioning is required to reduce aspiration risk and support swallowing.
- Medication rights verification, patient monitoring, and immediate documentation are essential safety steps.
Equipment
- Medication administration record (MAR) and provider order access
- Ordered oral medications and approved oral fluid (when not contraindicated)
- Pill-crushing or liquid-measurement tools when ordered and appropriate
- Post-administration assessment documentation tools
Procedure Steps
- Verify patient identity and compare MAR with active provider medication orders.
- Complete medication rights checks during retrieval, preparation, and bedside administration.
- Assess swallowing ability, NPO status, and route appropriateness before offering oral medication.
- Position patient upright to reduce aspiration risk; if unable to sit, assist into side-lying position.
- Offer suitable oral fluid unless contraindicated by medication profile or fluid restrictions.
- Administer medication and remain with patient until all medication is swallowed.
- Keep patient upright for about 30 minutes after administration when possible.
- Perform required post-assessments and evaluate response according to expected onset window.
- Document administration and response immediately after completion.
Common Errors
- Administering PO medication without swallow assessment → aspiration risk.
- Documenting before actual administration → duplicate-dose and omission errors.
- Leaving patient before swallow confirmation → uncertain dose delivery and choking risk.
- Delayed response reassessment → missed adverse reactions or ineffective treatment.
Related
- medication-administration-process - Broader framework for route-specific nursing responsibilities.
- clinical-glove-use-and-hand-hygiene-transitions - Hand hygiene and safety transitions support medication administration infection control.