To change an intravenous medication order to oral, which action should be taken?

To convert an intravenous medication order to an oral medication order, it is essential to discontinue the current intravenous order because intravenous and oral routes of administration are distinct and typically involve different formulations, dosages, and potentially different pharmacokinetics. Discontinuing the intravenous order ensures that the patient will not receive the medication via the IV route while simultaneously placing a new order for the medication to be administered orally.

This action prevents any confusion or overlap in medication administration, thereby ensuring patient safety and maintaining accurate medication records. It also aligns with best practices in medication management, where only one order for a particular drug is active at a time to avoid possible medication errors.

Altering the intravenous order or trying to continue the IV administration while also ordering an oral variant could pose significant risks regarding dosing errors or drug interactions. Thus, the most appropriate action in this scenario is to discontinue the IV order before making the new oral medication order.