The MAR medical abbreviation stands for medication administration record, the document where nurses and other staff record each medicine a patient is scheduled to receive and each dose actually given. In most hospitals today it is electronic and called an eMAR, but paper MARs are still used in some nursing homes, group homes and home care.
The MAR is a working tool. It lists the active orders, shows when each dose is due, and holds the initials, time and notes of the person who gave or held it. Plural use is common, so you may hear staff talk about checking the MARs at shift change.
At a glance
Stands for
Medication administration recordWritten as
MAR, eMAR (electronic); plural MARsUsed in
Hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living, home health, schoolsWho uses it
Nurses, medication aides, pharmacists, caregivers in some settingsRelated terms
BCMA (bar code medication administration), med rec (medication reconciliation)Do not confuse with
MAP (mean arterial pressure)
What the MAR medical abbreviation refers to
As a nursing abbreviation, MAR names one of the most used documents on any unit. Think of it as a grid. Down the side are the active medication orders, each with the drug, dose, route and frequency. Across the top are dates and times. Each box where a dose is due gets filled in when the dose is given, held, refused or missed, along with the initials of the person responsible.
The pharmacy usually builds the MAR from the prescriber's orders, and the nurse checks it against the original order. When an order changes, the MAR changes too, so it always reflects what the patient should be receiving right now.
Reading a line on the MAR
A single MAR entry packs in a lot of information. Here is what a typical row contains.
| Column | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Medication | Metoprolol tartrate 25 mg | Drug and strength |
| Route and frequency | PO BID | Swallowed, two doses daily |
| Scheduled times | 0900, 2100 | Facility times for each dose |
| Given | 0905, initials | Time given and who gave it |
| Notes | Hold if HR under 60 | Parameter to check before giving |
Shift handoff: "Evening metoprolol held per parameters, heart rate 54, charted on the MAR and provider aware." The oncoming nurse knows the dose was not missed by accident; it was held on purpose and documented.
Scheduled, PRN and one time doses
MARs usually separate medicines into groups. Scheduled medicines are due at set times each day. PRN medicines are given only when needed, so the MAR records the time, the reason, and often a follow up check, such as pain score an hour later. One time and STAT doses appear once and then drop off.
Many facilities also add IV fluids, insulin sliding scales and blood glucose checks to the record, so the nurse sees the full picture in one place.
Why the MAR matters for safety
The MAR is one of the main defenses against medication errors. Before giving a dose, nurses check the five rights against it: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route and right time. With an eMAR, scanning the patient's wristband and the medicine's bar code adds another check, and the system warns if something does not match.
A clear MAR also prevents double dosing between shifts, shows patterns such as frequent pain medicine requests, and gives pharmacists a record to review. In legal terms, if a dose is not charted, it is often treated as not given, which is why timely documentation is stressed so heavily in training.
MAR for caregivers and patients
Families meet the MAR in assisted living, group homes and home health, where a printed record may sit in a binder near the medicines. Caregivers fill it in the same way: date, time, initials and a note for any dose not given. Some families keep a simple homemade version to track medicines for a relative at home.
Patients can usually ask to see which medicines were given during a hospital stay, and the discharge medication list is built from the active orders. If something on that list does not match what you took before, ask about it before you leave.
Learning the MAR in training
Nursing, medication aide and pharmacy technician students practice reading and charting on sample MARs early in their programs. Common tasks include spotting a missing signature, catching a dose given outside the time window, and noticing an order that was discontinued but still appears. Timing shorthand such as QD, BID and TID all turn into fixed times on the MAR.
The prescription abbreviations hub collects the order shorthand that feeds into these records.
Consider this an overview of how the record works. Questions about medicines given during your own care, or a relative's, should go to the nursing staff or pharmacist at that facility.
Frequently asked questions
What does MAR stand for in nursing?
MAR stands for medication administration record. It lists every medicine a patient is ordered and shows when each dose was given, held or refused, and by whom.
What is an eMAR?
An eMAR is an electronic medication administration record. It works like the paper version but is linked to the pharmacy and often to bar code scanning at the bedside.
What does MARs mean in a medical setting?
MARs is usually just the plural of MAR, as in checking the MARs for every patient on a unit. Ask the writer if another meaning seems intended.
Who fills out the MAR?
The person who gives the medicine records it, most often a nurse. In some settings, trained medication aides or caregivers also chart on the MAR.
What happens if a dose is not charted on the MAR?
It may be treated as not given, which can lead to a repeat dose or a gap in care. That is why staff chart right after giving each medicine.