Under what circumstances should a CMA question a drug order?

• A. If it's unclear, contraindicated, not aligned with resident status, or outside policy; verify with nurse.
• B. If the resident requests it immediately.
• C. If the order is clear and within policy.
• D. If the nurse is unavailable.

Answer: (A)

Safety in medication administration hinges on recognizing when an order may not be appropriate and verifying before giving it. A CMA should question an order if anything about it is unclear, if there’s a contraindication for the resident, if the drug, dose, route, or schedule doesn’t fit the resident’s current status, or if the order falls outside facility policy. In those cases, pause and verify with the supervising nurse (per policy) to prevent errors and ensure the order aligns with the resident’s care plan.

Resident requests alone don’t justify administering a drug without confirmation. If the order is clear and within policy, there’s no need to question it. If the nurse is unavailable, you shouldn’t proceed with a medication that requires nurse involvement—follow the facility’s protocol to obtain authorization first.