NCLIP

Medication Order Types and Required Components

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Medication Order Types and Required Components

Key Points

  • Correctly identifying order type determines administration timing, urgency, and reassessment expectations.
  • Common order types include routine, one-time, standing, STAT, PRN, and titration.
  • Every order must include core components before a dose is given.
  • Incomplete, unclear, or illegible orders require prescriber clarification before administration.

Equipment

  • Current MAR/EHR with active medication orders
  • Policy reference for required medication-order elements
  • Escalation pathway for prescriber clarification

Procedure Steps

  1. Identify the medication order type: routine, one-time, standing, STAT, PRN, or titration.
  2. Match order type to execution timing and urgency (for example, STAT immediate, routine ongoing until discontinued).
  3. Verify core components: patient full name, date of birth, drug name, dose, route, frequency, date/time written, prescriber name/signature.
  4. Verify additional required elements when applicable: weight-based data, concentration/strength, duration/quantity, calculation specifics, and PRN indication.
  5. For PRN orders, confirm symptom indication is explicit and aligns with administration criteria.
  6. For titration orders, confirm adjustment parameters and patient-status triggers are clearly defined.
  7. If any component is missing, inconsistent, or unclear, hold administration and contact prescriber for correction.
  8. Document clarification and update the working order before proceeding to bedside rights checks.

Common Errors

  • Treating all orders as routine → missed urgency for STAT or one-time doses.
  • Administering PRN medication without a specific indication → wrong-use risk.
  • Proceeding with incomplete order elements → preventable medication error.
  • Mismanaging titration without explicit parameters → unsafe dose changes.

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