Administration

RTs commonly administer medications via the authority granted to them by the Respiratory Therapy Act – “administering a substance by injection or inhalation” [s.4 (4)]. Dispensing occurs less often and will be explained later in this PPG. RTs are responsible for administering medications within both their personal and professional scope of practice. The safe and competent administration of medication requires the RT to have the competencies (knowledge, skill and abilities) to:

Examples of administering medication:

• Obtaining, preparing and administering a narcotic for use during conscious sedation of a patient/client
• Obtaining, preparing and administering a drug from a supervised hospital or departmental “stock” of medications (e.g. sedatives kept in a bronchoscopy suite for use during an outpatient procedure)

Administration of a substance orally or topically is not a controlled act under the RHPA and is not considered dispensing unless a supply was given to the patient/client to take at another time. An RT may assist a patient/client in taking their prescribed tablets at the time they are due; however, an RT may not leave extra tablets from a stock at the bedside for the patient/client to take. As with all other medications, to administer oral (e.g., Prednisone) and topical medications (e.g., Lidocaine) the RT needs to know the indications, contraindications, proper dosages and potential side-effects. The prescription and medication container must be checked, along with the patient/client’s identity and any potential allergies/drug sensitivities, as with any other medication. Oral medications in a tablet form should be given to the patient in a disposable container, and liquid preparations should be measured using syringes specifically designed for that purpose. The RT must ensure that the medication was taken by the patient/client as directed, and document accordingly.

OTC refers to medications that can be obtained in the community without a prescription from an authorized regulated health care professional. However, in a hospital setting an order is still required to administer an OTC medication. Many facilities also have policies requiring that any OTC medication brought in from home by a patient/client must be sent to the pharmacy for labelling, and then approved by the most responsible physician before returning it to the patient/client.

If an RT is giving out OTC medication in a community setting (e.g., nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in an outpatient smoking cessation clinic), they are responsible for ensuring the medication is stored securely and must dispose of any medication that is past its expiry date. For more information, please see the section on Safe Storage and Handling.