Pharmacological management

In the case study, drug interactions risk is one of the significant concerns if the medications are administered as prescribed. The administration of Lithium interacts with Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Administration of Ibuprofen to the patient receiving lithium medication increases the availability of lithium and reduces Lithium renal clearance (Hassan, Khalid, Alirhayim & Amer, 2013). NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen, inhibit prostaglandins through the blockage of cyclogeneses (COX 1 and COX 2), the reduction in prostaglandins, leads to vasoconstriction of the renal arteries resulting in reduced glomerular filtration (Nunes, 2018). Reduced glomerular filtration reduces the renal clearance of Lithium from the blood system leading to increased Lithium levels in the system (Nunes, 2018). Polypharmacy in psychiatry also increases the medication side effects which may impact negatively on the patient’s quality of life such as by inhibiting their ability to fully participate in normal day-to-day activities, patient’s limitations to meet their activities of daily living among others and hindering their ability to participate in other treatment interventions such as psychosocial support and therapy.

Legal Issues Associated with The Client’s Medications as Charted Medication charting plays a critical part in the documentation of a patient’s management approaches and forms part of the patient’s records which can be utilized in a legal forum or in case of a medical-legal suit. Medication charting also enhances correct patient medication administration and minimizes medication errors (McLeod, Barber & Franklin, 2015). According to The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, the charting of the National Inpatient Medication Chart ought to adhere to specific guidelines to ensure it is correctly and consistently filled. The medication chart for the management of Jane poses a number of legal concerns The telephone medication orders on the prescription chart are unsigned and the medication administered with no documentation for confirmation of the medication ordered.

The omission to complete this section of the medication chart may lead to either under or overdosing of the patients which constitute negligence by the medical provider. The pharmacist is required to sign off the medication chart to indicate the medications as prescribed are safe and appropriate for the patient (The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 2012). The medication chart is not signed by the pharmacist. This indicates negligence on the part of the pharmacist as well as the nurses administering the medication which is not confirmed to be safe for the patient. Nurses have the responsibility to ensure patient safety hence bear legal liability for such a bleach. The nurse hence has the responsibility to ensure correct and complete documentation of medications prior to administration of the medication, both to ensure their safety and the safety of the patient (Pirinen et al.

In the medication chart, nurses administered medications from a prescription chart that had not been fully and completely filled. According to The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, (2012), guidelines, prescriptions which had not been completely filled should not be administered to the patient. The physician administering the medications had not fully completed the chart as required, the pharmacist had not signed off on the medications prescribed on the chart. Administering the medications without the pre-requisite clearance and authorizations incriminates the actions by the nurse as a violation of the standards of practice and risks malpractice and negligence charges against her in case of complications occurring following the administration of the medications (Smeulers et al. , Sugrue, A. , Adams, C.

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