There’s a reason why medical professionals need to be meticulous in their job. When handling and giving medications, everything should be logged to protect the healthcare provider in case something happens to the patient. Here, we have a selection of Medication Schedule Templates in PDF. These ready-made products are not only easily downloadable, but they’re also 100% customizable and fully printable. Apart from having a medication list, this ensures that all medications are given to the patient at the right time. Learn to be more meticulous by subscribing to our schedule templates today!
How to Create a Medication Schedule in PDF
According to Hopkins Medicine, medical errors represent 10% of US deaths. One of the most common forms of medical error is medication administration errors, which include wrong timing. This is why using medication schedules is important, and we have laid out guidelines below to help you make one in the PDF format.
1. Understand Your Institution’s Policies on Medications
Before you begin creating a medication schedule, understand first your institution’s policies about medication management. Always comply with the policies to prevent an uncoordinated rendering of services among medical professionals. If you want, you can always collaborate with nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and representatives from the administration.
2. Match the Format of Other Chart Documents
While this is not as important as the one mentioned above, it’s a plus if your schedule’s theme is similar to other chart forms. This creates consistency in the layout of all documents in the chart. Do this for the header contents, margins, and the spaces in between elements.
3. Put Labels on the Row and Column Headers
Speaking of headers, don’t forget to put labels or titles to signify the purpose of the columns and rows. Indicate where to write the medication’s generic and brand names, ordering doctor, frequency, time, and special instructions. Also, make sure these labels are legibly written.
4. Provide Enough Space for the Medication Details
As much as possible, provide a big enough space for all the essential details. This is especially important for the fields intended for writing special instructions when taking specific medications. And if needed, try narrowing down other columns to keep your document from looking cramped.
5. Use Any Software Application that Suits You
Regardless if you’re using Excel, Numbers, or any spreadsheet renderer, you can always export it to PDF in the end. So, use whatever software application works for you. You can even use document renderers such as Word and just import a table for the content. Again, use whichever suits you best.