- Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR):Published by Medical Economics with
the financial support of the pharmaceutical industry and contains the same
information as found in the drug inserts. - Physician’s GenRxpublished by Mosby and includes comprehensive drug
information product identification charts and product ratings by the Food
and Drug Administration. It also contains cost comparisons between drugs. - Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs: Published by the American
Pharmaceutical Association and contains comprehensive information on
over-the-counter drugs including the primary minor illnesses the drug is
used to treat. - Medline Plus (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html):
An online database produced by the U. S. National Library of Medicine
and the National Institutes of Health and contains information about pre-
scription and over-the-counter drugs and devices as well as warnings and
drug recall information.
Drug Orders
A drug order, also called a medical prescription, is an instruction from a provider
to give a patient medication. Providers such as a physician, dentist, podiatrist,
advanced practice nurse (in most states), and other authorized licensed health-
care providers can write a drug order. Physician assistants can also write a drug
order but require the co-signature of a physician.
All drug orders are written on a prescription pad or on an order sheet if writ-
ten in a healthcare institution. Sometimes orders are written into a computerized
drug order system. A verbal drug order is sometimes given but must be followed
up with a written drug order within 24 hours.
Drug orders are written using the abbreviations shown in Table 1-1 and
must contain:- Date and time the order (prescription) was issued.
- Name of drug and whether or not a generic form of the drug can be sub-
stituted for a brand-name drug. - Drug dose.
- Route of administration.
- Frequency and duration of administration.
- Special instructions such as withholding or adjusting dosage based on
nursing assessment, laboratory results, or drug effectiveness.
(^12) CHAPTER 1 An Inside Look at Pharmacology