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246 Tasks for the Veterinary Assistant

“am.” Therefore, it is vital to double check the name of • Compare the label with what is written in the patient
the medication. orders
Medications can have different brand names but be • Look at the label as you fill the prescription and
the same ingredient, for example Heartguard™ and write/type in the label information for the secondary
Iverheart™ are both ivermectin soft chews for heart- container
worm preventative – just different manufacturers. • Read the label as you put the primary container back
The primary container label will contain information into the inventory/pharmacy
you will need to fill a prescription accurately. Knowing • Say the name of the medication when the
where to look for this information is vital to select and prescription is dispensed or administered to the
dispense the correct medications as per the prescription. patient and check it against the patient’s file.
An animal’s condition may worsen, or it could die, if Errors in filling a prescription or administering medi-
these basic rules are not scrupulously followed. cations compromise patient health or, worse, risk death.
Malpractice such as this is detrimental to the patient and Accuracy and hypervigilance are of the upmost impor-
the clinic and possibly your job! tance. This is no time to cut corners, get sloppy or
On the label you will find:
complacent.
1. The drug name, this may be a brand, proprietary, or
copyrighted ® name such as Heartgard or the
generic‐compendium name, which in this case Learning Exercise
would be ivermectin. The generic name may be
most familiar. As another example, amoxicillin is the Use an OTC like acetaminophen or ibuprofen or, if
generic name and Amoxi‐Tabs® is the proprietary you work in a veterinary hospital, select a primary
or brand name. Often, in a facility, the generic and medicine bottle. Find and then write down the
proprietary names are used interchangeably. brand/manufacturer’s name (if there is one), the
2. Many drugs have similar spellings. Always compare generic or formula name, the strength per unit,
the spelling on the prescription with that on the drug and the dose.
label. For example, prednisolone and prednisone.
They are both steroids but are used for different
conditions. Make sure the drug prescribed and the
drug on the bottle match and if there is a doubt, ask! Labeling a Prescription
3. The strength of the medication is usually on the
front of the label. However, some will have the Container
strength written on the side in the ingredients list.
This is especially true if the medication is a The purpose of the label is to tell the owner who it is for,
combination of drugs. what is in the container, and the directions for its use.
4. Drugs are marked with an expiration date. Never use Most veterinary hospitals have preprinted labels with
expired drugs. This is usually printed on the side of some of the required information already on them. In
the label, on the bottle itself, or on the crimped end that instance, you only need to fill in the blanks whether
of a tube. it be handwritten or on the computer.
Additional cautionary labels should be put on the
On a prescription some veterinarians will write the prescription container with warnings on drug use or
drug names out completely, while some very frequently storage as necessary. Some examples are labels stating:
used drugs are often written in an abbreviated format. If “Keep refrigerated,” “Do not give with dairy products,”
the name of the drug is abbreviated in the prescription, or “For veterinary use only.” These are usually preprinted
take the time to identify the drug correctly before filling and come in rolls of peel‐off labels. These are important
the prescription. For example, amoxicillin can be abbre- as many medications need to be stored properly or given
viated as amoxi. Ask if you do not understand the abbre- in a particular way.
viation for the drug name. A wise instructor once said, When filling a prescription, we often take medications
“It’s never dumb to ask a question, but it is sure dumb out of the primary bottle and place the pill, liquid, or
explaining a mistake that could have been prevented by ointment in a secondary container, or we need to attach a
asking one!” label to an individual use medication like ophthalmic
Take multiple opportunities to read the drug label as ointment or heartworm preventative tablets. Regardless of
a double check as you fill a prescription. Here is the the type of container, FDA and/or DEA laws require the
sequence as you fill a prescription: following information be included on a prescription label:

• Read the label the first time you remove the primary 1. Name, address, and telephone number of the
container from inventory/pharmacy facility where the prescription is filled