How many doses should be filled if a new patient order is received at 2 PM but the cart exchange is not until 10 AM the next day?

When determining how many doses should be filled based on a new patient order received at 2 PM, it's essential to consider the timing of the cart exchange and the standard practice for medication administration.

The medication order received at 2 PM means that a dose would typically be needed for that day. Additionally, the next cart exchange is scheduled for 10 AM the following day. This implies that medications will be restocked at that time, but until then, any required doses need to be accommodated by the current supply.

Since the standard practice often involves administering medications every 8 hours, you would count the doses as follows:

1. The dose for administration on the day of the order (let’s assume this is around 2 PM).

2. The next dose would typically be scheduled for roughly 10 PM that same day.

3. The third dose would then be scheduled for around 6 AM the next day before the cart exchange takes place.

Thus, filling three doses ensures that the patient has access to their medication until the next exchange allows for restocking, which is crucial in a clinical setting to maintain continuity of care. Therefore, the decision to fill three doses is both logical and necessary for patient management.