North Carolina Medication Aide (Med Tech) Practice Exam

What is a safe practice when administering medications?

1. Read the label and MAR just once

2. Administer medications without checking the label

3. Read the label and MAR each time before administration

4. Rely solely on memory for medication names

The correct answer is: Read the label and MAR each time before administration

Reading the label and the Medication Administration Record (MAR) each time before administering medications is essential for ensuring patient safety and preventing medication errors. This practice allows the medication aide to verify crucial information such as the patient’s name, the medication name and dosage, the route of administration, and the timing of the dosage. By consistently checking the label and MAR, the medication aide can confirm that they are administering the correct medication to the appropriate patient, thus minimizing the risk of harmful mistakes that could arise from misidentification or miscommunication. This repetitive verification process is a cornerstone of safe medication practice and is integral to following the "three checks" — checking the medication against the MAR at the time of retrieval, at the time of preparation, and at the time of administration. Other practices, such as reading the label and MAR only once or relying solely on memory, compromise safety and could lead to potentially dangerous situations, such as administering the wrong medication or incorrect dosage. Each instance of medication administration is an opportunity to ensure accuracy and thus improve patient outcomes.