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The Medications module displays all the recent medication orders for the selected patient. If MAR (Medication Administration Record) data is available in your source medication system, you can also review that information from here.

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Medications At A Glance

The Medications module opens with the selected patient’s current medication orders in an easy-to-scan Summary.
  • The module header shows the number of current medications ordered for the patient (active or inactive), such as “Medications (9 of 9).” When you apply a filter, this line is updated. For example “Medications (2 of 9)” indicates that only two medication orders out of nine match the filter.
  • The patient heading row shows the selected patient’s name, age, gender, location, code status, and an additional identifier such as DOB, MRN, or account/visit number. An asterisk after the code status indicates that there are additional comments. You can tap on this heading to go directly to the Patient Details module, where you can view the code status comments, as well as other details for the patient.
  • Each medication order is summarized on a separate line with the order name and dosing information on the left followed by start date on the right. The line may also show the Source of the medication information (the hospital or practice from which it was derived). Discontinued medications are marked with a strikethrough line. On Hold medications are marked with an H. A comment is indicated with an asterisk (*).
  • From the Summary list, you can review the details for any medication order. Select a medication order to display the details. See Viewing Medication Details.

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Sorting Medication Orders

You can sort medication orders by the Start Date or the Medication Order name.
  1. From the Medications Summary list, tap More and choose Sort. The Sort screen is displayed.
  2. In the Sort By section, select the item by which you want to sort:
    • Start Date sorts by date and time (most recent medications first, or oldest first).
    • Med Order sorts medication orders alphabetically (A-Z or Z-A).
  3. Select Ascending or Descending to specify the sort direction.
  4. Select OK.

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Filtering Medication Orders

When you open the Medications module to review a patient’s recent medication history or latest MAR activity, it can be a long list. The list can include active, future, and discontinued medication orders. This provides a complete history of medication orders, but maybe you only want to see certain medications, such as for example, only active medications. To limit the list, you can use a filter. There are several standard filters from which to choose:
  • Active: The currently administered medications, including Scheduled, PRN, Conditional, and IV orders. These medications either do not have an end date, or the end date is in the future. This also includes future orders (those with start a date in the future).
  • Inactive: Medication orders that are no longer active.
  • On-Hold: Medications that are temporarily withheld or not being administered. In most cases, this is based on the order’s deactivation and reactivation dates. If your source system is Cerner®, this filter shows medications with a Suspended or On-Hold status.
  • Active Scheduled: Medication orders that are scheduled at a regular interval (i.e., medications other than PRN). This includes both active and future scheduled orders.
  • Active PRN: Medication orders that are given as needed, such as for pain. This includes both active and future PRN orders.
  • Active Conditional: Medication orders where dosing is based conditionally on clinical data or judgment, such as blood glucose level for insulin. This includes both active and future conditional orders.
  • Active IV: Medication orders where the route is intravenous, or contains the letters IV, such as IV or IVPB. This includes both active and future IV orders. The module header row keeps track of the number of medications currently displayed for the patient. For example, when no filter is applied, you might see “Medications (9 of 9)” in the header, and all of the available medications displayed in the summary list. If a filter is applied, the Filter button is displayed at the top of the summary list, with a label describing the filter criteria. For example, you might see “Medications (2 of 9)” in the module header, and the Filter button labeled, “Filtered by: Active PRN” to indicate that only the Active PRN medications are shown. If you apply more than one filter, the module header counts the combined number, and the Filter button label lists each of the filters that are applied.
To apply a filter for Medications, follow these steps:
  1. Tap Filter in the upper right corner of the Medications Summary screen.
view medications.07.4.1 If you do not see the Filter button, tap More and choose Filter. The Filters screen is displayed and shows the list of filters. The currently selected filter(s) are indicated by a checkmark.
  1. Select or deselect one or more filters. If some but not all of the filters are selected, a Select All button is available at the bottom of the screen; tap Select All to select all of the available filters. If all of the filters are selected, a Deselect All button is available; tap Deselect All to deselect of the filters.
  2. Tap Done. The medications that match the filter criteria are displayed. If you selected more than one filter, the filters are OR’ed. For example, if you selected both the Active Scheduled and Active PRN filters, then any medications that are of the type Active Scheduled or Active PRN are displayed.
The filter(s) remain selected until you choose something different.

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To go back to showing all of the medications for the patient

  1. From the Medications Summary list, tap Filter in the top-right corner of the screen.
view medications.07.4.3 If you do not see the Filter button, tap More and choose Filter.
  1. At the bottom of the Filters screen, tap Select All, and then tap Done. All of the available medications are displayed in the Medications Summary list.

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Viewing Medication Details

You can review exactly the level of information that you want for a patient.
  • The Medications module opens with a high-level Summary of Medication orders. Each medication is listed on a separate line, and at a glance you can see name of the drug, the dose/unit, route, and frequency. You can also see which medications are on hold (H) and which have comments (*). This might be all you need when you are evaluating your patient’s medications. But if you want more information about a medication order, select the medication order to see the details.
  • Select a medication order to see either the order details or the medication administration history.
    • Details view: The Details screen shows the details of the order, such as the start and end date, dose, route, and frequency. You might also see information such as comments, PRN details, special conditions for administration, or IV additives/diluents. The fields vary depending on the type of order and your hospital’s source system. See The Details View.
    • MAR (Medication Administration Record) view: If your institution tracks Medications Administration Records, there is also a MAR section that displays the nursing staff’s records about whether the medication was administered. See The MAR View.
    • From the both Details view and the MAR view you can go back to the Summary list and select a different panel. Tap the Back button .

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The Details View

The Medications module can display detailed information for the selected medication order. From the Medications Summary list, tap a medication order to select it. Select the Details tab to see the details of the medication order. MedsDetailsBtn
  • The top of the screen contains the Sig details for the selected medication, including the Name of the drug, Dose/Unit, Route, Frequency, and PRN.
  • Next, additional details fields are shown. These can include Date/Time stamp for the Order, Start Date, End Date, (Hold Date and Resume Date for medications that are on hold), Ordered By, Date Ordered, Order Status, Status Change Date, Order ID, Route, Form, National Drug Code, Generic/Trade Name, and Notes/Comments. The fields that are displayed depend on your source system. For example, Cerner® and MEDITECH® source systems offer more fields than other backend systems.

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Viewing IV Medications

If a medication is an IV medication, the name of the medication is listed as the base fluid and the additives are listed in the detail area. If a medication has a diluent, such as an antibiotic that is given in some IV fluid, the diluent is also listed in the detail area. Your hospital’s source system determines what IV information is displayed, for example, the strength of pre-mixed IVs or special instructions.

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Viewing Special Medication Order Types and Type Qualifiers

Many hospital information systems have special Medication order types, such PRN or Conditional medication orders. For special medication order types, “type qualifiers” provide more information. For example, Insulin can be prescribed using a sliding scale for dosage depending on the patient’s FSBG. Acetaminophen’s qualifier is “Pain” to indicate that the medication can be administered as needed to relieve the patient’s pain. The special qualifier information can be viewed on the Details tab MedsDetailsBtn

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The MAR View

The Medications module can display medication administration information (MAR) for the selected medication order. MAR data access can be activated if it is available in the source medication system. From the Medications Summary list, tap a medication order to select it. Select the MAR tab to display MAR data. The most recent administration records are at the top. MedsMARBtn Each MAR event is shown in a row listing the date and time of the event, the dose administered, and the person who administered it. It also includes an administration status, if available. The statuses vary depending on your organization’s source system. For example, if a medication was not administered as ordered and this fact was documented, the Status column might contain the words “Not Given” or “Pt Refused.” In some systems, the date and time may be struck through—this means that the medication was not given. You can select any row in the MAR display to see additional information about the administration, such as any comments that might have been recorded.