Clinical skills: Medication administration - Giving transcutaneous medication

As with any procedure. Don't forget to wash your hands.

Introduce yourself to the client, explain the procedure and receive consent. Hello, today we'll talk about how to administer transdermal medication.

Normally you do everything on this list, but to keep things concise, we'll focus on the steps in blue and we'll also include a summary.

Let's start with creams and lotions, thoroughly clean and dry the sight. If necessary, such as when dealing with open wounds, change your gloves, squeeze the prescribed amount of medication into one hand and soften it up with the other like this for suspension based lotions, shake the container well and squeeze the medication onto some gauze instead, then apply the medication to the skin, rubbing it in gently in the direction of hair growth.

Make sure you spread the medication to the thickness suggested by the manufacturer for antianginal ointments. First, remove the previous dose paper from the patient, wipe away any excess medication with clean tissue, then write the date time and your initials onto the new dose paper with a soft tipped marker.

Squeeze the ointment onto the dose paper using the scale to measure out the prescribed dose, apply the dose paper to a new site, either the chest, back, abdomen or anterior thigh, but not where the previous dose paper was removed.

Also make sure to not apply the dose paper to hairy skin or scar tissue. Finally tape the dose paper to the skin at two opposite corners.

For transdermal patches first remove the previous patch from the patient. Remember it might be hidden in between the skin folds, then fold the used side of the patch in half and dispose of it per your local protocol, wipe the area clean, then write the date time and your initials onto the new patch with a soft tipped marker.

Peel off the inner lining and apply the patch to a clean hairless site. Make sure the new site is different from the old site.

Hold the patch in place for 10 seconds to make sure it adheres properly. For aerosol sprays shake the container from the duration suggested on the label if necessary have the patient look away or cover their face spray the medication onto the site following the distance and time suggested on the label for powders, clean and dry the skin, open up any creases in the skin with one hand and shake over a thin even layer of powder.

If ordered, cover the site with a dressing in summary, clean the site and then administer the medication whether it be creams, lotions, ointments, patches, sprays or powders