Medications At A Glance
The Medications module opens with the selected patient’s current medication orders and recent MAR activity in an easy-to-scan Summary.- The patient heading row shows the selected patient’s name, age, gender, location, and MRN. Use this information to verify that this is the right patient.
- The module header shows the number of current medications ordered for the patient (active or inactive), such as “Medications (9).” When you apply a filter, this line is updated and the Filter button displays at the top of the list. For example “Medications (2)” indicates that only two medication orders match the filter, and “Filtered by: Active” indicates that only Active medications are displayed.
- In the Medications view, each medication order is summarized on a separate line that shows the Med Order name and dosing information, the Start date and time, and the Status (such as Active or Hold; your institution might use different status names).
- In the 24-hr meds view, medications that were given over the past 24-hours are summarized. Each medication is displayed on a separate line that shows the Med Order name and dosing information, the Date and Time of the medication administration, and the Provider who administered the medication.
If MAR Medication Data is not enabled for your organization, then this tab contains no data.
Sorting Medication Orders
You can sort medication orders by the Start date, the Medication Order name, or the Held status.- In the Medications view, tap Sort at the top of the screen.
- In the Sort By section, select how you want to sort the summary list.
- Start Date sorts by date and time (most recent medications first, or oldest first).
- Order sorts medication orders alphabetically (A-Z or Z-A).
- In the Order section, select the order in which you want to sort (Ascending or Descending).
- Tap Done. The medications are displayed in the order that you selected.
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)” 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)” 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.
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Tap Filter in the upper right corner of the Medications Summary screen.
The Filters screen is displayed and shows the following:
- The top of the screen displays a list of Filter Terms. The currently selected filter(s) are indicated by a checkmark.
- Below the Filter Terms, you may see additional filters by Source (the hospital or practice from which the medication information was derived), if your organization has implemented the Health Information Exchange feature and it is enabled in your user profile. The currently selected filter(s) are indicated by a checkmark.
- Select or deselect one or more filters from the Filter Terms or Sources. 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.
- 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.
To go back to showing all of the medications for the patient
- From the Medications Summary list, tap Filter in the top-right corner of the screen.
- 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.
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, in the 24-hr meds view or in the Medications view. For both views, 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 the medications status 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 or administration, select the medication to see the details.
- Select a medication in the Summary list to see either the order details or the medication administration history.
- Detail view: The Detail screen shows the details of the order, such as the start and stop 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.
- 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.
- From both the Details view and the MAR view you can:
- Move to the Details or MAR screen for the next medication in the patient’s Summary list. Swipe right to left.
- Move to the Details or MAR screen for the previous medication in the patient’s Summary list. Swipe left to right.
- Go back to the Medication Summary list. Tap Back .
Medications: 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 Detail tab to see the details of the medication order.
- 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, Stop 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 available depend on your source system. For example, Cerner® and MEDITECH® source systems offer more fields than other backend systems. If your organization has implemented the Health Information Exchange feature and it is enabled in your user profile, you will also see a field for Source (the hospital or practice from which the medication information was derived).
Reviewing 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.Reviewing 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 Detail tab.Medications: 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.