Who should you contact to verify a medication order if unclear or conflicting?

• A. The dietary aide
• B. The prescriber or the pharmacy
• C. The resident
• D. The maintenance supervisor

Answer: (B)

When a medication order isn’t clear or seems to conflict with another order, the person who can verify and resolve it is the prescriber who wrote the order or the dispensing pharmacy. They have the authority to interpret the intent, adjust dose or frequency, or issue a corrected order. The nurse or other staff must not change a medication without a clarified or new order, because that could compromise safety. The dietary aide, the resident, or the maintenance supervisor don’t have medical authority to verify or modify prescriptions. If anything is ambiguous, reach out to the prescriber or the pharmacy to confirm the exact medication, dose, route, and timing before administration.