[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Medications and dose calculation](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/medication/) › The rights of medication administration # The rights of medication administration - Safe practice The rights are checks made before every medication to prevent errors: right patient, drug, dose, route and time, among others. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - The core five: right patient, drug, dose, route and time. - The number of rights varies by institution (5, 6, 8, 10…); follow your own institution's protocol. - Right patient: at least two identifiers (for example full name and date of birth); the bed number does not count. - Check at three moments: when taking the medication out, when preparing it and at the bedside. - Interruptions during preparation are a frequent cause of errors. - An informed patient may refuse a medication: document it and tell the prescriber. On this page - The basics Key points - What it is - What it requires - Components - How it is applied (and why) - Common mistakes - Memory aid - Elsewhere in DurgiPedia - Safety In nursing practice - Study Test yourself - Connections Connections ## What it is The «rights» are a list of checks the nurse makes every time a medication is given. The core five are the right patient, drug, dose, route and time; many textbooks add the right documentation as a sixth. Others add more, such as history and assessment, drug interactions, patient education and the right to refuse, and ask whether the drug is given for the right reason and with the right response. So the number changes by institution: 5, 6, 8, 10 or more; the Colombian Ministry of Health package mentions «los 10 correctos». What matters is not the number but applying them every time: the nurse is the last safety check before the medication reaches the patient. ## What it requires - A complete, legible, current medical order. - Knowing the drug: what it is for, its adverse effects and precautions. - Always asking about allergies before giving it. - Surroundings that let you concentrate while preparing. - Documenting right after giving the drug, never before. ## Components - Right patient: identify with two identifiers and, when possible, the wristband. - Right drug: compare the label with the order, the generic name and the expiry date. - Right dose: confirm the calculation and that the dose is within a safe range. - Right route: the one in the order; a change of route is decided by the prescriber. - Right time and frequency: confirm when the last dose was given. - Right documentation: drug, dose, route, time and response, signed by the person who gave it. - Right reason: understand why the patient is receiving that drug. - Right response: assess the expected effect and any adverse effects. - Education and the right to refuse: explain to the patient and respect an informed decision. ## How it is applied (and why) - Read the whole order and clear up any doubt with the prescriber — an ambiguous order is the source of many errors. - Ask about allergies and check the record — prevents foreseeable severe reactions. - Compare the label with the order when taking the drug out — the first of the three checks. - Prepare without interruptions and compare the label again — the second check. - Identify the patient with two identifiers at the bedside — confirms the drug is for this person. - Explain what the patient will receive and why, and compare a third time — an informed patient catches errors. - Give it by the ordered route and at the ordered time — changing the route changes the effect. - Document at once and reassess the response — closes the loop and prevents repeat doses. ## In nursing practice - If anything does not match (name, dose, route), do not give it: clarify first. - After an error, care for the patient, report it to the person in charge and file an event report in the patient-safety programme. - High-alert medications also need an independent double check. ## Common mistakes - Using the room number as an identifier. - Documenting a drug before giving it. - Giving something someone else prepared without checking it. - Relying on memory instead of reading the label. ## Memory aid Patient, drug, dose, route, time: the five that are never skipped. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## What are the five core rights of medication administration? Right patient, drug, dose, route and time. ## Why is the bed number not enough to identify the patient? Because patients change beds; at least two personal identifiers are used, such as full name and date of birth. ## At which three moments are the label and the order compared? When taking the drug out, when preparing it and at the bedside before giving it. ## What does the nurse do if the patient refuses a medication? Explains the consequences, respects the informed decision, documents it and tells the prescriber. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/the-rights-of-medication-administration/) ## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia - [Medical error: disclosure and apology](https://durgical.com/en/medical-ethics/medical-error-disclosure-and-apology/) ## Connections ## Related 4 - [Correct patient identification](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/correct-patient-identification/) - [High-alert medications](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/high-alert-medications/) - [Medication reconciliation](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/medication-reconciliation/) - [Dose calculation: the formula method and dimensional analysis](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/dose-calculation-the-formula-method-and-dimensional-analysis/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [Nursing Skills (Open RN), 15.2 Basic Concepts of Administering Medications](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Skills_(OpenRN)/15%3A_Administration_of_Enteral_Medications/15.02%3A_Basic_Concepts_of_Administering_Medications) (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College (LibreTexts), 2022); [Nursing Pharmacology (Open RN), 2.5 Preventing Medication Errors](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Pharmacology_(OpenRN)/02%3A_Legal_and_Ethical/2.05%3A_Preventing_Medication_Errors) (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College (LibreTexts), 2023); [Mejorar la seguridad en la utilización de medicamentos. Paquetes instruccionales, versión 2.0](https://www.minsalud.gov.co/sites/rid/Lists/BibliotecaDigital/RIDE/DE/CA/seguridad-en-la-utilizacion-de-medicamentos.pdf) (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social de Colombia, 2015). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/the-rights-of-medication-administration/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/the-rights-of-medication-administration/