Pharmacology and Medication Administration

The healthcare industry offers an exciting and challenging setting for professionals at all levels, much of which is consistent across different kinds of offices and specialties. Administering medication is one of the many responsibilities assigned to healthcare professionals in a clinical setting. This resource offers students an overview of basic pharmacology concepts including the important safety guidelines and regulations for the prevention of medication errors. It also describes the numerous forms of medications and routes for administering medications to patients.

Finally, this resource describes the steps in several common medication administration procedures. Healthcare professionals in a clinical capacity must know these procedures well and practice them often following each step in sequence, so they can provide high quality care to their patients.

After completing this resource, learners will be able to:

• Describe the role of the medical assistant in medication administration
• Explain the procedures for administering medication in various forms
• Describe pharmacological terms related to drug effects, functions, classifications, and nomenclature
• Perform basic dosage calculations
• State the safety guidelines for administering medications Explain the forms, routes, and procedures for medication administration