California Nursing Home Administrator License Practice Exam

What must a resident’s medication label include if the medication is in its original package?

1. The pharmacy's distribution date

2. The dosage instructions from the resident

3. The resident's name and strength of the drug

4. The name of the treating physician

The correct answer is: The resident's name and strength of the drug

For a resident's medication label to comply with regulatory standards, it is essential that it includes the resident's name and the strength of the drug. This information is crucial for several reasons. First, having the resident's name on the label ensures that the medication is correctly associated with the right individual, thereby preventing medication errors that can arise from mixes-ups, especially in facilities caring for multiple residents. Secondly, including the strength of the drug is critical for safe and effective medication administration. Knowing the strength helps caregivers to administer the correct dosage and allows easy identification of the medication, which is vital for monitoring potential side effects and effectiveness. The other choices, while important aspects of medication management, do not serve the same essential purpose. For instance, the pharmacy's distribution date may be useful for tracking when the medication was dispensed, but it does not directly aid in the administration or identification of the medication to the resident. The dosage instructions provided by the resident are not standardized and can vary widely, thus making it less reliable. Lastly, while the name of the treating physician can offer context, it is not as immediate a requirement for the safe administration of the medication as the resident's name and the strength of the drug.