Which of the following is the first right among the seven rights of medication administration?

• A. Right Patient
• B. Right Drug
• C. Right Dose
• D. Right Time

Answer: (A)

The first thing to verify before giving any medication is that you’re treating the correct person. Ensuring you are giving the medication to the right patient is the foundation of safe administration. Use two identifiers, such as the patient’s full name and date of birth (and if available, cross-check with the medical record number or a barcode scan). Compare what you’re about to administer with the order in the chart or MAR, and only proceed if they match. This prevents serious errors like giving the wrong drug or dose to the wrong person, which would render all other checks meaningless.

Once the patient’s identity is confirmed, you then verify the medication itself, the dose, the route, and the timing in relation to the order. But none of those steps would be safe if the patient isn’t identified correctly first.