What are the seven rights of medication administration?

• A. Right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, right reason, and right documentation.
• B. Right patient and right medication only.
• C. Right dose and right time.
• D. Right patient, right dose, right time, and right documentation.

Answer: (A)

The seven rights of medication administration provide a safety checklist you use before giving any drug. Each right helps ensure the patient receives the medication as intended and reduces the chance of errors.

Right patient means confirming who the medication is for, typically by checking two identifiers (like name and date of birth) and cross-checking with the chart or MAR. Right medication is about verifying the drug name, formulation, and strength on the label matches the order, while watching for look-alike or sound-alike drugs. Right dose involves confirming the prescribed amount is correct and appropriate for the patient, including any needed calculations or unit conversions. Right route ensures the medication is given by the prescribed method (oral, IV, inhaled, etc.) and that the route is suitable for the drug and patient. Right time means administering within the scheduled window and understanding any timing nuances, such as PRN doses or time-sensitive schedules. Right reason asks you to validate that there is a legitimate, appropriate purpose for giving the medication to this patient for this condition. Right documentation requires recording the administration promptly and accurately, including time, dose, route, and any patient response or adverse effects, and updating the chart if circumstances change.

These elements together create a complete safety net; leaving out any one of them can lead to errors or questions about whether the right care was provided. The other options omit one or more of these elements—without all seven, you lose important checks that protect the patient and support clear, accountable practice.