Ask ECRI: The Many "Rights" of Medication Administration

​​A member recently asked for information on the "rights" of medication administration. The "five rights" of medication administration are well established as helping to prevent medication-related adverse events during the administration phase of medication management. Most professional medical organizations and health systems support use of the "five rights" as part of their recommendations for best practices, including the following entities:

Over the years, many organizations and academic studies have expanded the original five "rights" to include up to five more. For example, AHRQ still notes the classic "five rights" (right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time), but acknowledges a total of nine, including "right documentation," which includes recording both the medications administered and those wasted. Many organizations have adopted seven rights, adding both "right reason" and "right documentation" to the original five. A June 2020 article proposes...