Medical Office Pharmacology: Review For Medical Assistant Students and Professionals
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For medical assistants who need to brush up on certain areas in pharmacology as it applies to a medical office.
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The need for well trained medical assistants remains high. At any given moment there are over 100,000 job offers for medical assistants and other healthcare professionals available across the nation, hundreds in every state! Most disciplines require knowledge of medical office procedures and some pharmacology....
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Drugs in the Medical Office
Medications are usually dispensed and administered by trained healthcare professionals who understand the basic concept and principals of pharmacology and medication administration! Healthcare professionals in a physician’s office, hospital, clinic, pharmacy, or any other setting may also be responsible for ordering, storing, discarding, preparing, administering, and dispensing medications and medication samples. Therefore they must have a solid understanding of medications and their actions, potential uses and abuses, dosages and side effects in order to provide quality services and competent patient care.
 Consider the following:Drugs are chemical compounds, substances, or mixtures of substances that are used for therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic purposes.
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Safekeeping of Medications:
All medications must be kept out of sight within the medical office. One central area, such as a closed medicine closet, accessible to medical office staff only, provides the best security for medications, rather than keeping a medicine cabinet in every patient room.
Even the simplest medications, such as aspirin or antacid tablets must not be given out to patients who might have requested a sample without prior authorization from the physician! Each time a patient receives a small sample of a drug, this should be documented in the patient records indicating the name of the drug, who authorized its dispensal, and that the patient was informed about the sample drug's action, side-effects, and how to take it followed by the medical assistant's (or healthcare professional's) initials.
Test your knowledge:Dispensing Medications in the Medical Office:
Dispensing medications involves handing the dose to the patient, and the medical assistant is present and observes the patient taking the medication on his or her own. When dispensing medications, it should be poured into the bottle cap or a cup, rather than into the hand to keep it clean, and avoid transferring microorganisms from the hand to the medication.
Again, healthcare professionals do not “give,” but dispense medications! Medical assistants only dispense medications as ordered by the supervising physician. Any medications dispensed or refilled is immediately documented into the patient’s chart. The entry should indicate that the authorization is “per Dr. NAME”, dated, and initialed.
Always repeat back a verbal order and when in doubt, always question the order! Know that legally, the person dispensing and administering a medication is liable if an error occurs, even if the dosage was written incorrectly by the physician!Medication Orders:
Medication orders include: Patient name, date and time of order, name of the drug, dosage, route of administration, time or frequency, along with special instructions about medication. Also it must have the ordering physician's signature. All medication orders must be legible and only standard abbreviations and symbols should be used. If any of the seven components of a medication order are missing or seem incorrect, don’t assume – clarify the order!
Dispensing Drug Samples:
Pharmacists, nurses, or medial assistants NEVER make their own decisions regarding handing out any medications or samples to patients should they ask for them (and they WILL ask!) without first consulting the physician and checking the patient’s records! Needless to say, everything must also be charted! Be aware of the expiration date on the sample packages, as some may be stored for long periods in a physician's office or clinic before use.
Problems with medication samples begin when they are dispensed from the office without clear instructions for use. Errors of all types have occurred when patients are unclear about the use of sample medications. To be on the safe side, make sure that when you dispense a sample there is a label attached which clearly indicates:
PatientMedicationDosageFrequency or timeRouteForm, such as suspension, elixir, tablets, etc.DocumentationPlease do not cut and paste.
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 We encourage all Medical Assistants, practicing or not, to continuously learn, and strive to become better at what they do...Remember: Your professional and personal development never ends! Being a successful professional means lifelong learning. Excellence in performance, knowledge, and skills betters your chances of getting the most out of your career! Those who know their job best are always hired first, and salaries are ever increasing for those with high standards.
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This Website is protected by applicable copyright laws. No part may be reproduced, transmitted, or used in any way other than its intended purpose without prior written permission. Inquiries, contact Website owner: Danni R. About the Author:
Danni R. has created this extensive resource in her capacity as certified medical assistant and medical assisting instructor at Porter & Chester Institute, Ultrasound Diagnostic School, and Branford Hall in 2003. You may also visit her other websites at Advanced Medical Assistant of America, Medical Assistant Net, Medical Billing and Coding Net, Medical Coding and Billing Home Page, and Phlebotomy Pages to get better acquainted with her work.