Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Medication
Revised 2017
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
Authority 3
Competence 3
Safety 3
Glossary 7
References 8
VISION
Leading in regulatory excellence
MISSION
Regulating nursing in the public interest
Introduction Competence
The Medication practice standard describes nurses Nurses ensure that they have the knowledge, skill
accountabilities when engaging in medication practices, and judgment needed to perform medication
such as administration, dispensing, medication practices safely.
storage, inventory management and disposal.
Three principles outline the expectations related to Nurses:
medication practices that promote public protection. ensure their medication practices are evidence-
This practice standard applies to all nurses. In judgment, and get help as needed, and
addition, Nurse Practitioners are accountable for the do not perform medication practices that they are
1
Medications requiring a prescription can be found in the Health Canada Drug Product Database.
2
F or example, for client treatments and diagnostic procedures, the Public Hospitals Act, regulation 965 requires an order from an identified
practitioner, such as a Nurse Practitioner or a physician.
Consider:
Is the order clear? Do I understand the order?
Consider:
Is the order complete? Does the order contain all of
the information that I need
Do not perform and to administer or dispense
follow up with a NO YES
the medication safely?
prescriber.
Consider:
Is the order appropriate? Is the order appropriate
considering the client,
Do not perform and and the clients current
follow up with a NO YES condition, health history,
prescriber. medication history, and
other medications that the
client is currently taking?
The order is clear, complete
and appropriate.
NO YES
NO YES
NO YES
Administer medication
Evaluate outcomes
If an adverse reaction occurs, take appropriate action
Note: Document during and/or after administering medication, according to the Documentation practice standard.
NO YES
NO YES
Dispense medication
Note: Document during and/or after dispensing medication, according to the Documentation practice standard.
References
College of Nurses of Ontario. (2014). Authorizing
mechanism. Retrieved from: http://www.cno.org/
Global/docs/prac/41075_AuthorizingMech.pdf
APR 2017
41007
2017-51