The provider prescribes a sublingual medication and the pharmacy sends an oral form. Which should the nurse implement?

Question

1. Administer the identical drug orally.
2. Call pharmacy for correct formulation.
3. Withhold drug and notify the provider.
4. Calculate oral equivalent dose for client.

Answer 1

2
2. The nurse can administer the sublingual medication in sublingual form only; changing the route of administration is practicing medicine and is outside the scope of practice for the nurse. The nurse owes a duty to the client to obtain the sublingual form for administration.
1. The nurse cannot administer the oral medication, even if it is the identical drug, because it is the wrong route and violates a client medication right.
3. Withholding the medication until the provider is notified is risky and unnecessary because the nurse can ask the pharmacy to send the correct form of the medication. If the pharmacy does not carry the prescribed form, then the nurse should contact the provider.
4. Many medications come in several forms; thus, determining an equivalent dose of a medication in another form is possible; however, the nurse needs a prescription for both forms of the medication to administer the oral form.