Electronic Prescribing & Medication Management Flashcards

What is the primary purpose of a Medication Administration Record (MAR) in a hospital EHR?

Answer: To track each medication dose administered to a patient, including time, dose, and nurse

The MAR is the legal record nurses use to document when, how, and by whom each medication was administered to a patient, creating an auditable record that prevents double-dosing and omissions.

Which EHR capability analyzes patient diagnoses and lab values to suggest appropriate medication therapy to clinicians?

Answer: Clinical decision support (CDS) for prescribing

Clinical decision support for prescribing evaluates patient-specific data—diagnoses, labs, allergies, and current medications—to generate context-sensitive alerts, reminders, and medication recommendations.

What does the term 'five rights of medication administration' refer to in the context of EHR barcode scanning?

Answer: Right drug, right dose, right route, right time, right patient

The five rights—right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time—are the foundational safety checks that barcode medication administration (BCMA) systems in EHRs are designed to verify electronically.

High-alert medications in CPOE systems receive the most rigorous safety checks because:

Answer: Errors involving them carry the highest risk of serious patient harm or death

High-alert medications such as anticoagulants, insulin, chemotherapy agents, and concentrated electrolytes are subject to enhanced checks because errors with these drugs have the greatest potential to cause severe or fatal harm.

Which process ensures that a patient's known drug allergies are consistently documented and available across all care settings within an EHR?

Answer: Allergy reconciliation

Allergy reconciliation is the process of reviewing and aligning a patient's allergy documentation across encounters and care settings to maintain a single, accurate, and complete allergy record in the EHR.

Under the DEA's EPCS regulations (21 CFR Part 1300 series), which requirement applies to the prescriber before they can transmit electronic prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances?

Answer: Identity proofing conducted by a credential service provider (CSP)

DEA EPCS rules require prescribers to undergo identity proofing by an approved credential service provider to verify their identity before they are permitted to electronically prescribe controlled substances.

What is the most direct patient safety improvement achieved by implementing e-prescribing in an EHR compared to paper-based prescribing?

Answer: Elimination of illegible handwriting errors and improved prescription routing to pharmacies

E-prescribing eliminates illegible handwritten prescriptions and transcription errors, and electronically routes prescriptions directly to the patient's chosen pharmacy, reducing dispensing errors and improving efficiency.