Question

If a technician calls to get a refill on a patient's prescription and the nurse says the doctor changed it from 20 mg to 40 mg what should the technician do?

Answer 1

The technician needs to update prescription records and communicate the dosage change from 20 mg to 40 mg to ensure patient safety. Proper unit conversion knowledge is essential in pharmacy practices for accurate medication dispensing.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a technician receives information that a doctor has changed a patient's prescription from 20 mg to 40 mg, they should ensure that this change is properly documented and communicated. The technician should update the prescription records to reflect the new dosage and inform the relevant parties, such as the pharmacist, of the modification. It is crucial to follow the correct procedures to ensure the patient receives the correct dosage of medication.

Understanding unit conversion is essential in this scenario. For instance, if a doctor prescribes medication in grams but the pharmacy dispenses in milligrams, knowing that 1 gram equals 1000 milligrams is important for accurately fulfilling the prescription. If a nurse has to administer 0.2 g of aspirin, they need to know this is equivalent to 200 mg and therefore they would need to provide 4 tablets if each one is 50 mg.