Using the Medication Administratioin Window

Use the Medication Administration window to view and enter medication administration times for medications with a MAR Schedule. To access the Medication Administration window:

2. From the main menu, select Patients, click a patient name and then return to the main menu.

● A third section displays the PRN Efficacy Documentation reminders, if that feature is enabled in the master files.

The number next to a section name indicates how many records are present in each section.

● Example: As Needed (PRN)-2 means there are two (2) medications in the As Needed section.

Depending on the default entry method set up in the MAR settings, click a link below to understand how the system applies the administration date in the Medication Administration window:

To change from online to manual entry, select the Manual Input check box on the Medication Administration window. This only applies until you leave the Medication Administration window. The next time you open the Medication Administration window, the system reverts back to the default entry method setting selected for that office in the MAR settings.

When a medication has a quantity entered as a range (example: 1-2), the system prompts you to enter the Dosage Given. This information is required.

1. Enter the amount in the Amount Given field.

2. Enter the dosage type in the Dosage field.

3. Click Save.

If you do not enter the amount given or dosage, a warning message displays. Click OK to return to the dialog box and enter the amount/dosage.

When you order a medication that has a value of Every for the Frequency, and the medication is marked As Needed, the system displays that medication in the Medication Administration window based on the last administration time and the time interval defined by the frequency.

Example: If a medication is marked As Needed with a dosage for every 4 hours, the system displays the medication available to give until the medication is given. After the medication is given, it does not display as available to give again until 4 hours from the time it was last given.

When you order a medication that has a value of Quantity in the Range, marked As Needed, and has a value of Every for the Frequency, MAR calculates the available dosage based on the interval defined by the frequency. The overdose checking uses the interval prior to the entered administration time to prevent the maximum dosage from being exceeded in the interval.

Example: A medication is ordered for a quantity of 1-2 caps, has a frequency of every 4 hours, and is marked As Needed. If the medication is first administered with a partial dose (1 cap), then the medication remains on the Medication Administration window so you can administer the additional 1 cap.

When you administer a partial dose, the Last Admin Notes state that in the medication area on the Medication Administration window:

Once the full dosage is given for an interval, the system does not display the medication in the Medication Administration window again until the next time frame a dose can be given. In the example above, if you administer the remaining 1 cap earlier than 4 hours from the previous administration, the medication displays 4 hours after the first partial dose was given. A partial dose may be given at that time. A full dose may be given 4 hours from the time the last dose was given. If you attempt to give a dose exceeding the allowed dose, the system displays a message that you may not administer the exceeding dose.

When you order a medication with a value of BID(Twice a Day), TID(Three Times a Day), or QID(Four Times a Day) for Frequency, and marked As Needed, MAR uses a 24-hour day period to calculate the available dosage for the Frequency to verify that dosage in any interval is not exceeded. BID uses a 12-hour time period for dosage, TID uses an 8-hour time period for dosage, and QID uses a 6-hour time period for dosage.

Example: You order a medication for a quantity of 1-5 caps, with a frequency of BID(Twice a Day), and the medication is marked As Needed. If you administer 2 caps at 08:00, an additional 3 caps are available to give up to 12 hours from the time the first dose of the medication was given. If you do not administer the additional 3 caps during that time, then at 12 hours from the time the first dose of the medication was given, a full dose is available to give.

If you administer 3 caps of the medication again at 09:30, the medication does not appear on the Medication Administration tab again until the next time frame you can give a dose. In the example above, you may administer a partial dose any time during the 12 hours following the first dose, and a full dose 12 hours from the time the last dose was given.

If the Require Witness By box is checked on the Patient Medication window, then you must have a witness signature when you administer the medication. When you click the system prompts you with a dialog box to have the witness enter their Username and Password.

o When you administer a scheduled medication before the scheduled time frame (Administration Window), it becomes an early medication.

o When you do not administer a scheduled medication during the administration window defined in the master files, that medication becomes Late. Enterprise Edition displays the administration time in red with the word Late in front of it.

See MAR Settings for further information on setting up the Administration Window.

If you use manual entry and click , when you enter an Admin Time that is before or after the administration window, the system opens the Late/Early Medication Administration dialog box so you can enter a reason why the medication was early or late. Select a reason, or enter Other Reason, and click Save.

When you use manual entry, the administration time defaults to the scheduled time of the medication. Until you edit the actual administration time so that the administration time in that field is outside of the administration window, the Late/Early Medication Administration dialog box does not open.

To change the administration time on an early or late medication:

1. Click Change Administration Time in the Late/Early Medication Administration dialog box.

2. Enter the appropriate administration time in the Change Admin Time To field.

3. Click Save.

When scheduled medications have a Frequency value of Before Meals or After Meals, and the As Needed check box is selected, if those medications are not administered at the scheduled time, they stay on the schedule with a NOW label until the earliest administration window time period of the next scheduled administration time. These medications display in the As Needed (PRN) section with the current date and time.

Example: If a medication is not administered at dinner time, it displays in the As Needed (PRN) section through the next day until the earliest administration window time period of the scheduled breakfast administration time. At that time it displays in the As Needed (PRN) section with the scheduled breakfast Admin Time.

When scheduled medications have a Frequency value of HS(Bedtime), if those medications are not administered at the scheduled time, they stay on the schedule with a NOW label until 8 hours and one minute from the scheduled administration time. After this time, the medication is no longer visible on the Medication Administration window, and you may not administer the medication until the early administration window of the scheduled time the following day.

Using the Medication Administration Window