Before administering a new medication, which step is NOT necessary?

Obtaining the patient's consent is indeed an important practice in healthcare; however, it may not be explicitly required as a preparatory step immediately prior to administering a new medication. The reason this step is often considered as not strictly necessary in every instance is that in many cases, consent is implied when a patient is under care and a treatment plan has been previously discussed and agreed upon.

On the other hand, reviewing the medication order is crucial to ensure that the correct medication, dose, and route are identified, thus preventing medication errors. Checking for allergies is also vital as it protects the patient from adverse reactions. Counseling the patient on potential side effects is important for informed patient care, as it enables the patient to understand what to expect and when to seek help. Each of these steps is a fundamental part of safe medication administration in practice, whereas explicit consent may not be required for every individual medication administration if prior consent has been obtained.