Mediceren

Mediceren is a Dutch verb meaning to administer or prescribe medicines to a patient. In clinical use it covers selecting an appropriate medicine, determining the dose, schedule, route of administration, and duration, as well as monitoring effects and adverse reactions. It can involve initiating, adjusting (titration), or stopping a treatment, and is performed by licensed health professionals such as physicians, nurses, or pharmacists, depending on jurisdiction.

The term is closely linked to medicatie (medication) and toediening (administration). In everyday language it is often used to mean the act of giving drugs to a patient, contrasting with 'voorschrijven' (to prescribe), though in practice the two activities may be part of a single process.

Quality and safety: Requires assessment of indication, contraindications, potential interactions, allergies; use of guidelines; informed consent; monitoring; documentation. In contexts such as elderly care, polypharmacy increases the risk of adverse events, so regular medication reviews and de-prescribing are common components of mediceren.

Etymology and scope: The verb derives from medicatie, the Dutch term for medicines, with the -eren suffix forming a verbal action. Mediceren is used across Dutch-speaking healthcare settings, but practices and regulations differ by country and care setting.