What does STAT mean in medication orders?

• A. Immediately
• B. At bedtime
• C. By mouth
• D. Every hour

Answer: (A)

STAT means immediately. It comes from the Latin statim and tells the nurse or pharmacist to give the medication right away, without waiting for the next scheduled dose. This signals an urgent need to act to prevent the condition from getting worse. It’s not about how the drug is taken (that would be by mouth) or how often it’s given (every hour) or when it’s scheduled (at bedtime). So the key idea is that a STAT order requires immediate administration.