Which is one of the six rights for medication administration?

• A. Patient ID
• B. Check expiration date and lot number
• C. Draw the drug from the vial with your teeth
• D. Report to supervisor

Answer: (A)

Ensuring the medication is given to the correct person is a fundamental safety step. This is the right patient check, one of the six rights of medication administration. Verifying the patient’s identity before administering any drug (using two identifiers like name and date of birth or medical record number and cross-checking with the MAR) helps prevent med errors that could harm someone.

The six rights are right patient, right medication, right dose, right route, right time, and right documentation. Each right acts as a safeguard in the process.

Why the other options aren’t fitting: checking expiration date and lot number is important for drug safety and traceability, but it’s a separate safety check rather than one of the six rights. Drawing the drug from the vial with your teeth is unsafe and never appropriate. Reporting to a supervisor is about escalation or handling issues, not one of the basic rights for giving a medication.

So the best choice reflects the essential step of confirming you’re treating the correct patient.