PRN medication setup

Flag a medication as PRN, set the symptom indicators and the dose limits.

A PRN (pro re nata) medication is given as needed, not on a fixed schedule. To make a medication PRN:

  1. Open the medication.

  2. Tick PRN (is_prn = 1).

  3. PRN reason — short description of why it's prescribed (e.g. "Pain relief", "Anxiety management").

  4. Symptom indicators — comma-separated list of things to check for before giving (e.g. "Pain >5/10, refusal to mobilise, swelling").

  5. Min interval between doses (minutes) — prn_min_interval_minutes. Enforced as a hard block.

  6. Max in 24 hoursprn_max_dose_24h. Enforced as a hard block.

  7. Save.

What changes when a medication is PRN

  • It disappears from the regular timeline (no scheduled doses).

  • It appears under the PRN page for on-demand recording.

  • Dose limits are enforced at every recording attempt.

  • Effectiveness can be tracked (PRN effectiveness).

Tip — Keep symptom indicators short and observable — staff need to be able to confirm them at someone's bedside, not after a clinical assessment.

Last updated 21 May 2026 · by eMAR migration · Suggest a feature or change to this article
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