Which statement best describes standing orders in medication administration?

• A. Standing orders authorize routine, pre-approved doses; PRN orders authorize doses as patient needs; standing orders may require less clinician contact.
• B. PRN orders authorize routine, pre-approved doses; standing orders authorize doses as patient needs.
• C. They are identical in practice.
• D. Standing orders apply only to intravenous meds.

Answer: (A)

Standing orders provide routine, pre-approved medication instructions that let staff give certain meds on a set schedule or under predefined conditions without needing a new clinician order each time. This is different from PRN orders, which are given as needed based on the patient’s condition, and often require the clinician’s assessment before each dose. Because the routine dosing is already authorized in the standing order, there may be less need to contact a clinician for every dose, within the policy’s limits. The other statements mix up routine versus as-needed dosing, imply they are the same, or wrongly limit standing orders to intravenous meds.