Medication administration is one of the most frequent nursing clinical practice activities. The
safe administration of medication contributes to the quality of patient care. Medication errors
can occur during the prescribing, dispensing and administration of medications.
Understanding the factors involved in the regulation of medications, pharmacology and error
producing conditions, is an important way nurses can contribute to the reduction of
medication errors.
The aim of this assessment is to enable you to demonstrate your understanding of:
1. The regulation of medications in Australia
2. The principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
3. The roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals involved in the medication
cycle
4. The factors that contribute to medication errors (and near-miss incidents), and
possible prevention strategies.
