How to administer oral medicines safely in health and social care settings

The safe administration of oral medicines is a fundamental aspect of healthcare practice and is essential for optimising patient outcomes and preventing adverse events. This article outlines a step-by-step procedure that nurses can follow to ensure patients receive oral medicines correctly and safely, without causing harm. • Oral medicines include tablets, capsules or liquid preparations. • When administering oral medicines, it is important to consult the patient's prescription chart or medication administration record and to use the '6 Rs' of medicines administration as a guide. • Oral medicines should not be blindly crushed or spilt because this can affect the absorption rate and dose, and may lead to adverse effects such as gastrointestinal irritation. REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY: 'How to' articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence-based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of: • How this article might improve your practice when administering oral medicines. • How you could use this information to educate nursing students or enable colleagues to reflect on their own practice in safely administering oral medicines.