What is the first step in ensuring safe medication administration?

The first step in ensuring safe medication administration is confirming the patient's identity. This is crucial because administering medication to the wrong patient can lead to significant harm or even fatal consequences. Identifying the patient correctly helps to ensure that they are receiving the appropriate medication for their specific condition, minimizing the risk of medication errors.

By verifying the patient's identity, healthcare professionals can cross-check the patient's name and date of birth against their medical records and medication orders. This step serves as a safeguard that helps maintain patient safety before any further actions, such as reading the medication label or preparing dosages, take place.

While reading the medication label, checking the expiration date, and preparing the medication dosage are all important steps in the medication administration process, they come after confirming that the right patient is identified. Therefore, the foundational step for safe medication administration is always ensuring you are treating the correct individual.