A patient is due for a 40-mg dose of furosemide (Lasix) at 9:00 AM on May 5, 2013. The drug label reads "20 mg per tablet." The tablets in the bottle appear firm and unbroken. The expiration date on the bottle reads "April 2, 2013." The best nursing action is to:

Choice A reason: Right patient ensures identity verification; errors here cause harm via misadministration, as drugs affect individuals differently based on physiology and condition.

Choice B reason: Right drug prevents wrong medication errors; each drug’s pharmacokinetics targets specific issues, and mistakes disrupt therapy or cause adverse reactions.

Choice C reason: Color isn’t a standard right; it’s not a reliable identifier, as formulations vary, and clinical safety relies on name, dose, and route, not appearance.

Choice D reason: Right route ensures correct delivery (e.g., IV vs. oral); wrong routes alter bioavailability and onset, risking toxicity or inefficacy per drug design.

Choice E reason: Right time optimizes efficacy; timing aligns with drug half-life and patient needs, preventing under- or overdosing from improper administration schedules.

Choice A reason: Blood indicates vascular entry; discarding prevents unintended IV delivery of an IM drug, avoiding rapid absorption risks and ensuring proper route administration.

Choice B reason: Giving with blood risks IV administration; IM drugs aren’t formulated for this, potentially causing embolism or toxicity, violating safety administration principles.

Choice C reason: Changing the needle leaves contaminated medication; blood-mixed drugs are unsafe, and this fails to address the compromised dose integrity fully.

Choice D reason: Omitting skips treatment needlessly; the issue is procedural, not the order, and restarting ensures the patient receives the intended therapy safely.