In Instinct EMR and Instinct Treatment Plan, medication safety is supported through built-in dosing behaviors and consistent product setup. Following these guidelines helps reduce the risk of medication errors and supports safe, accurate prescribing across your practice.
How Instinct handles medication dosing
Instinct includes several built-in behaviors designed to support accurate prescribing:
In Instinct, when a patient's weight is updated after medications have been ordered, a persistent alert banner appears on the Tx Sheet and/or Ax Sheet, prompting you to review and update active medication dosages. This feature helps prevent over- or under-dosing when a patient's weight changes during their stay. See Weight-Based Medication Review for details.
All medication calculations use kilograms (kg). Weights are never automatically imported from another system—clinicians remain in control of reviewing medication quantities.
Instinct displays medication data consistently: quantity (mL, tablets, or capsules), dose (mg/kg), and total dose (mg). You can begin entering medication information in whichever field best matches your workflow, and Instinct automatically calculates the remaining values.
Draft Orders allow practices to require additional review before medications become active. Practices commonly use Draft Orders for students, interns, residents, and newly hired veterinary technicians. See How to Turn on Draft Mode for details.
Name medications consistently
Clear, consistent medication names reduce the chance of selecting the wrong product. Use a naming convention that includes:
Generic name
Brand name
Drug concentration
Formulation (tablet, injectable, suspension)
Extended-release designation
Compounded status (when applicable)
Examples:
Amoxicillin/Clavulanate Potassium (Clavamox) 62.5 mg Tablet
Doxycycline (Vibramycin) 10 mg/mL Oral Suspension
Enrofloxacin (Baytril) 22.7 mg/mL Injectable
Additional recommendations: use Tall Man lettering when appropriate, avoid ALL CAPS, include concentrations in the product name, and keep naming conventions consistent across all medications.
Manage multiple concentrations and reconstituted medications
Whenever possible, maintain only one active concentration of a medication. If multiple concentrations are required, create a separate product for each and clearly identify the concentration in the product name.
Example:
Hydromorphone 2 mg/mL
Hydromorphone 10 mg/mL
For reconstituted medications, establish one standard reconstitution protocol per medication. If multiple reconstitution methods are necessary, create a separate product for each formulation—never modify an existing product to represent a different concentration.
Approve medication additions and changes
Because medication products directly affect patient safety, have a veterinarian or medical director review all medication additions and edits. Create a new product whenever a formulation or concentration changes. Never reuse an existing product with a temporary formulation during shortages or backorders.
Frequently asked questions
Does Instinct automatically adjust medication doses when a patient's weight changes?
In Instinct, when a patient's weight is updated after medications have been ordered, a persistent alert banner appears on the Tx Sheet and/or Ax Sheet, prompting you to review and update active medication dosages. This feature helps prevent over- or under-dosing when a patient's weight changes during their stay. See Weight-Based Medication Review for details.
Can we customize Patient Safety Warning ranges?
Yes. Warning ranges can be adjusted in Product Administration to match your practice's protocols. See How To Edit Patient Safety Warnings for details.
Still need help?
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