Six Rights of Safe Medication
Many Australians rely on prescription medication to manage their health conditions, alleviate pain or help them live a more comfortable life. Some manage their medication alone, but many rely on a healthcare professional or a support worker to assist with dispensing their medication. With medication administration comes a lot of responsibility, as well as little room for error since a person's health is at stake. That is why the 'six rights of safe medication administration’ checklist has been created to minimise risk of error when dispensing medication to someone.
What are the six rights of safe administration?
The six rights of medication administration are six things to always check when dispensing medication to someone you support. Each and every one of the rights is just as important to adhere to in order to ensure the individual’s safety.
Medication administration errors are the most common mistakes in healthcare but using the checklist each time you administer medication can significantly reduce the risks of a mistake and ensure the best clinical outcomes.
Below is the six rights of medication checklist which you can print and carry with you if needed:
1. Right Person - Check the first and last name of the patient
- Does the name on the medication packaging match?
2. Right Medication - Check the name on the medication packaging
- Does the medication match the prescription?
- Be mindful of the look-alike and sound-alike medications
3. Right Dose - Check the strength and dosage of the medication
- Does the strength and dosage match the prescription?
4. Right Time - Check the frequency of administration
- Does the administration time match the prescription?
- If administering PRN medication, make sure specified time interval has passed
5. Right Route - Check the route of administration
- Does the route match the prescription?
- Can this medication be crushed or mixed in with other substances?
- Have any transdermal patches been removed?
6. Right Documentation - Check that all documentation is completed and clear enough to read
- Is the prescription current?
- Document everything immediately after the medication is administered
On Hireup support workers can provide a range of different supports, from in-home personal care and medication management.
Clients can easily find and connect with trusted support workers registered with the NDIS using our job board or through our search function.
