Oxycodone is ordered every 4 to 6 hours PRN for a patient newly diagnosed with cancer who is admitted to the hospital. The patient requests pain medication whenever reporting pain as a 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the worst pain), but then tells the nurse the medication is not working well. What action will the provider take when learning of this situation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Prescribing a fixed dosing schedule for oxycodone can help maintain a consistent level of pain control, potentially preventing the peaks and troughs of pain that can occur with PRN (as needed) dosing, especially in the context of cancer pain which is often continuous.

Oxycodone Is Ordered Every 4 to 6 Hours PRN for a Patient