How to Record a PRN (As-Needed) Dose in ElderSuite

📝 Overview

Record PRN Dose is the window used to record that an as-needed (PRN) medication was given in the eMAR. It captures which medication was given, the reason, the dose, an optional pain score, how many minutes until a follow-up is due, and an optional note. The day’s history for the chosen medication appears under the medication list so you can see whether it has already been given today.

The window opens from eMAR on the By Client tab, with a client selected. The medication needs PRN (as needed) checked and needs to be on the MAR for the service date. See How to Use eMAR in ElderSuite and How to Add Client Medications and Print the MAR.

⚙ How It Works

Where Record PRN Dose Opens From

On the By Client tab, + Add PRN sits above the client’s medication cards, and Give PRN... sits on the card for a particular as-needed medication. Either control opens Record PRN Dose. Give PRN... arrives with that medication already chosen. + Add PRN lets you choose the medication in the PRN medication dropdown. The signed-in user has to be allowed to record; see How to Set Up an Employee to Record in the eMAR and eTAR in ElderSuite. For the Nursing Center layout, see the ElderSuite Nursing Center Overview.

A second route is the Report Center nursing report Medication Administration Record - eMAR (Monthly), which opens eMAR. From there, use the By Client tab as above.

If the client has no as-needed medication on the MAR for the date being viewed, the window does not open. ElderSuite shows No PRN Medications with the text “This client has no PRN (as-needed) medications on the MAR. Click 'PRN (as needed)' on the medication to make it available here.”

For a dose that was not given, see How to Record a Dose Not Given in ElderSuite. As-needed treatments are recorded in the eTAR instead; see How to Use eTAR in ElderSuite and How to Add Client Treatments in ElderSuite.

Enter the Reason, Dose, and Follow-up

The window prefills Reason (required), Dose given, and Follow-up in (minutes) from the medication order. The line under the dropdown is that medication’s history for the day: “Not given yet today.”, or the time of the last dose and how many doses have been given today. Choose the medication first. Choosing a different medication in the dropdown replaces whatever was already typed in those three boxes.

Reason (required) has to describe the symptom or trigger the dose was given for. If it is left blank, ElderSuite shows Reason Required with the text “A PRN dose needs a reason - the symptom or trigger it was given for.” The box holds up to 250 characters. Dose given records how much was actually given and may differ from the dosage on the order; it may also be left blank. Pain score before (0-10) and Note are optional; a pain score is a whole number no higher than 10.

Follow-up in (minutes) sets when the follow-up comes due. Once the dose is recorded, the client’s medication card shows the time the follow-up is due and carries Record follow-up. When that time arrives, the client also shows as FOLLOW-UP on the Med Pass tab. Record follow-up asks whether the dose was effective and for a description of the result. A blank or 0 means no follow-up is due, and Record follow-up does not appear for that dose.

Record, or Enter, checks the entries and, if they are accepted, closes the window so eMAR can save the dose and refresh the cards. A please-wait message appears while the record is saved. If the medication requires a witness, eMAR shows Witness Required with the text “This medication requires a witness. Enter the witness's name:” Leaving the name blank or using Cancel abandons the recording. Cancel, Esc, or the title-bar close button closes Record PRN Dose without recording a dose.

When a Limit Warning Appears

When the chosen medication has reached its daily limit, or the last dose was given more recently than the minimum interval on the order, the history line turns red and a second line reading “Warning:” plus the limit wording is added underneath. These warnings do not stop the dose from being recorded.

On Record, ElderSuite shows PRN Limit with “Daily limit of <number> already reached.” or “Last dose was less than <number> minutes ago.” When both apply, both wordings appear together, followed by “Record the dose anyway?” No is the default, so Enter does not record the dose.

⚠ A Limit Warning Does Not Stop the Record

A daily-limit or minimum-interval warning is a question, not a stop. The history line turns red, and PRN Limit asks “Record the dose anyway?” Yes records the dose the same way it would have been recorded without the warning. No leaves the window open without recording the dose, so the entries can be reviewed or the window closed with Cancel.

💡 Need More Help?

For step-by-step instructions, click Ask Eddie from within ElderSuite.