What should you do before giving a medication if the patient has known allergies?

• A. Administer with a reduced dose to test reaction.
• B. Proceed if patient reports no prior reactions.
• C. Give the medication anyway to see if there's a reaction.
• D. Verify allergies in the chart and with the patient, and hold if necessary per policy.

Answer: (D)

When safety is at stake, the first step is to verify allergies before giving a medication. Check the patient’s chart for documented allergies and ask the patient to confirm what happened, including the reaction type and severity. This helps catch outdated or incorrect records and ensures you’re not relying on memory alone.

If an allergy is confirmed or cannot be ruled out, hold the medication and follow policy. Inform the prescriber, consider an alternative, and document the verified allergy in the chart so the entire care team is aware. This approach reduces the risk of a real allergic reaction and keeps everyone updated on how to proceed.

Why not other options? Testing a dose to see if a reaction occurs is unsafe and could provoke a reaction. Proceeding based on no prior reactions ignores the possibility of unreported or evolving allergies. Giving the medication regardless of a known allergy directly contradicts patient safety and policy.