Which are the five rights of medication administration?

• A. Right patient, drug, dose, route, and documentation
• B. Right patient, drug, dose, route, and time
• C. Right patient, drug, dose, route, and schedule
• D. Right patient, drug, dose, route, and consent

Answer: (B)

The core safety idea here is to verify five key elements before giving any medication to prevent errors: you must ensure the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time. The time element is essential because delivering a medication at the correct moment in the dosing interval maintains therapeutic drug levels and maximizes effectiveness while minimizing risks of underdosing or overdosing. It also helps synchronize with meals, other medications, or specific dosing schedules to avoid interactions or timing errors. Documentation matters a lot, but it’s typically considered a separate safety step (often called a sixth right) to ensure there’s a record of what was given and when. Options that replace time with documentation, schedule, or consent shift away from the standard five rights. So the set that includes patient, drug, dose, route, and time aligns with the five rights of medication administration.