Verbal order not accepted in the following conditions
- Verbal order is not accepted in normal conditions
- Verbal orders are not allowed when both the prescriber is present and the patient’s chart is available
- Verbal orders are not permitted for non-formulary drugs
- Verbal orders for chemotherapy, narcotic drugs and high-risk drugs are not allowed
- A verbal order which is not clear
Verbal order not accepted in the following conditions
- The only acceptable time a verbal order for a drug should be taken from a physician/ doctor is in an emergency situation/mass causalities/disaster (external or internal) where there is an immediate unplanned patient emergency
- Verbal orders are allowed when either the authorized prescriber or patient’s chart is not available
Procedure to take the verbal order
- The name, registration number and diagnosis are confirmed by the authorized doctor giving the order to ensure that the correct patient receives the correct medication.
- The nurse receiving the order must record the order as Verbal/ Telephonic Order.
- The entry is to be in CAPITAL LETTER
- The contents of such order include Drug Name, Dosage (Strength), Frequency, Route, Dosage Form of medication, Date & Time (ordered) and Name of the prescriber.
- The Nurse should repeat the order back to the doctor to ensure that the details are correct.
- Both parties will pronounce numerical digits separately saying, for example, “five zero” instead of “fifty.”
- The prescriber and the nurse will spell the name of any unfamiliar medication, if either party feels this is necessary.
- The prescribers will include the purpose of the drug to ensure that the order makes sense in the context of the patient’s condition.
- Prescriber must acknowledge the correctness of the order within 1 hour beside the order recorded by the nurse