Disagreement in Medical Lab Class?

Question

We are having a disagreement in my medical lab class. Which of the following is an example of administering a medication? Giving a patient an IM injection or The doctor giving the patient samples of medication to take at home. Please only serious answers. It is in our book but instructor doesn't take it the same way we do. We say it is the injection but he says that is an injection not administering. He says the samples is because the patient is being given medication. Which of us is right? Please help.

Answer 1

Your instructor has a screw loose.

Answer 2

My dictionary says to administer is to apply or to perform. To me, this implies a physical action on the part of the doctor. The doctor must inject or stand there while the patient takes it.

I am under the care of a cardiologist who helps me as much as he can by giving me a year's supply of free samples of Diovan valsartan, for which I am grateful. He does not stand over me every morning, "administering" the medication to me.

In fact, I am taking two more drugs, furosemide and spironolactone. The doctor has prescribed 60 tablets per month, two per day. In is written instructions to me, he has told me to take spironolactone one per day; and furosemide, staggered, at the rate of 10 per week. He just wants me to have an adequate supply.

So: Who is administering how much to whom?

Answer 3

You are right. This is from Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary:

Main Entry: ad·min·is·ter
Pronunciation: schwad-primarystressmin-schwa-stschwar
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): ad·min·is·tered; ad·min·ister·ing /-st(schwa-)rieng/
: to give (as medicine) remedially

Answer 4

administering means to distribute. sorry but your teacher is right (my teachers weren't so lucky, so i sympathize with you)