How should a medication order be verified prior to administration of chemotherapy?

• A. Two-person verification of patient, drug, dose, route, and time against the order before administration.
• B. Verify only the drug name.
• C. Verification is optional if the nurse is experienced.
• D. Verify after administration.

Answer: (B)

Two-person verification of patient identity, drug name, dose, route, and time against the order before administration is essential. Chemotherapy drugs are high-alert medications with serious potential for harm, so a second qualified clinician confirms every critical element to catch any mismatch. Verifying all aspects beforehand reduces the risk of wrong drug, wrong dose, incorrect route, or incorrect timing, and it helps prevent delays if an error is caught early. Verifying only the drug name or waiting to verify after administration does not provide sufficient safety, and verification should be done prior to giving the medication, typically by two professionals such as a nurse and a pharmacist, per policy.