Oral Glucose: Prescribe for Diabetic Patients with Hypoglycemia. Administered Orally

Medications you carry and can prescribe (Always refer to the most current MA Statewide Protocols for changes)
Oxygen: can prescribe for any patient, especially those with hypoxia and inadequate breathing. Administered via inhalation.
Oral glucose: prescribe for diabetic patients with hypoglycemia. Administered orally.
Aspirin: prescribe for chest pain related to clots blocking the coronary arteries (Aspirin is a blood thinner, it prevents clots from forming). Administer orally.
Medications the patient carries that you can help administer
Metered-dose inhaler (MDI): asthma and other patients with respiratory diseases have this. It is used to dilate the bronchioles. Administer by inhalation.
Nitroglycerin* (nitro): cardiac patients have these. It is a vasodilator, which lowers blood pressure and increases blood supply to the heart. Administer by sublingual means. Note: do not administer for patients with low blood pressure (below 90 systolic or 30 below the baseline blood pressure) or who are taking drugs for erectile dysfunction.
Epinephrine* (epi): patients with severe allergies (anaphylaxis) have this, usually in the form of an epi pen (auto-injector). The epinephrine counters the effects of anaphylaxis. Administer by injection (using the epi pen).
Administration route.
Sublingual: placed under the tongue, absorbed across the mucous membrane.
Oral: swallowed.
Inhalation.
Injection.
Administration form.
Tablet / compressed powder: taken orally or sublingually. For example, aspirin or nitro.
Liquid for injection: for example, epi.
Gel: taken orally. For example, glucose.
Suspension: taken orally. For example activated charcoal.
Fine powder for inhalation: these are mists. For example, MDIs.
Gas: for example oxygen.
Spray: these are droplets. Some nitro is in the spray form, where droplets are deposited with each spray.
Nebulizer: these are aerosols. For example, MDIs.

Medication terminology
Indications: situations that you should administer a medication.
Contraindications: situations that you should NOT administer a medication.
Dose: how much medication to give.
Administration: administration route and form.
Actions: the effect of the drug.
Side effects: negative effects of the drug.
Steps to check for in administering medication
Right circumstance: either on-line or off-line medical direction calls for the administration of this medication for this situation. Do NOT administer medication without medical direction or set protocol.
Right patient: check prescription label to make sure it's not prescribed for someone else.
Right date: make sure the drug is not past its expiration date.
Right medication: check to make sure that what's inside the container is indeed the right drug. Watch out for discoloration or impurities and discard any medication that has "gone bad".
Right dose: too little won't have an effect. Too much can be dangerous for the patient.
Right route: make sure you can distinguish between sublingual and oral. For example, nitro is sublingual, so place it under the tongue (don't let the patient swallow it).

* May be carried on the ambulance and administered with medical directives in place.