Medication errors in health care settings can have serious ramifications for patients who are given the wrong medication or dose or who are given medication incorrectly. Duke University Medical Center cites that more than one million people are harmed by hospital medication errors each year. The five rights of medication safety are a universal technique used in health care facilities to reduce, and prevent, medication errors. Once a medication has been prescribed for a patient, the nurse or health care provider follows the five rights to ensure safer medication administration, before providing the medication to the patient.
Right Patient
The patient's identity must be verified against the medication order to ensure that the correct patient is receiving the medication. The nurse reads the patient's name and date of birth on the medication order and then asks the patient to verify her identity by stating her name and date of birth out loud. Additionally, the nurse may verify the correct patient by reading the patient's hospital wrist band and matching the name and date of birth against those on the medication order.
Right Medication
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognizes the five rights as an important goal for safe medication practices; these rights begin by administering the right medication to the right patient. The nurse or health care provider must verify that the correct medication is being given before administering it to a patient. This is done by verifying that the medication written on the order is the same as the medication being prepared for the patient.
The medication is verified three times: once when the medication is removed from the drug storage area, once before placing the medication on a patient's tray or medication cup, and again before giving the medication to the patient.
Right Time
Some medications must be given at specific times, such as insulin, which must be taken before or after a meal. The health care provider must ensure that she is providing the medication to the patient at the time ordered by the physician.
Right Dose
The medication dose being prepared for a patient is confirmed against the written medication order before being given. The nurse or health care provider will often confirm that he has the correct medication dose while preparing the medication, when placing the medication in the patient's medication cup, and again before giving the medication to the patient.
Right Route
Medications can be given different ways, such as by injection or intravenously through a vein. The health care provider must verify the correct route for delivering the ordered medication to the patient by reading the order and preparing the medication appropriately.
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