Wendy Bagnall
Medicines Management Technician
Walsall tPCT
Outcome 9: Management of Medicines
The registered person must protect service users
against the risks associated with the unsafe use
and management of medicines, by means of the
making of appropriate arrangements for the
obtaining, recording, handling, using, safe
keeping, dispensing, safe administration and
disposal of medicines used for the purposes of
the regulated activity.
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People who use services receive care,
treatment and support from staff who:
Ensure they make a record of any medication
taken or reminded by the person using the
service where this is part of the plan of care.
Follow clear procedures, that are monitored
and reviewed, that explain:
◦ their role with regards to helping people take their
medicines
◦ what staff should do if the person using services is
unable, or refuses, to take their medicines
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A clear comprehensive written medication
policy must be available to support care
workers. It should include:
◦ When the care worker may prompt medication or
administer medication
◦ The limitations of assistance with prescribed and
non prescribed medication and which tasks the care
worker may not undertake without specialist
training
◦ Requesting repeat prescriptions.
◦ Collecting prescriptions and dispensed medication.
◦ Procedure for administration.
◦ Records of procurement, administration & disposal.
◦ Procedure for removal of unwanted medication.
◦ Procedure to deal with medication error.
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The following should be documented in the
persons care plan
◦ The nature and extent of help that the person
needs.
◦ A current list of prescribed medicines for the
person including the dose and frequency of
administration; method of assistance; and
arrangements about the filling of compliance aids if
these are used
◦ Details of arrangements for medication storage in
the persons home and access by the person,
relatives or friends
◦ A statement of the persons consent to care worker
support with medication .
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Three levels
◦ Level 1- General Support or Assisting with
Medicine
◦ Level 2- Administering Medication
◦ Level 3- Administering Medication by
specialised techniques.
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Person takes responsibility for their own
medication
Support MAY include
Requesting repeat prescriptions
Collecting medicines
Disposing of unwanted medicines
Occasional reminder or prompt to an adult to take
their medicines
◦ Manipulation of a container. E.g. opening a bottle or
popping tablets out of a blister pack.
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The person is assessed and is identified as
being unable to take responsibility for their
medicines
The need for medication to be administered
should be recorded in the persons plan
The person must agree to have the care
worker administer medication and the
consent must be documented
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When the care worker selects and prepares
medicines for immediate administration, including
selection from a monitored dosage system or
compliance aid.
When the care worker selects and measures a dose
of liquid medicine for the person to take
When the care worker applies a medicated cream/
ointment; inserts drops to ear, nose or eye and
administers inhaled medication
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When the care worker puts out medication for
the person to take themselves at a later
(prescribed) time to enable their
independence
Only competent and confident staff should be
assigned to people who require help with
their medicines.
Care workers should only administer
medication from the original container. This
includes MDS and compliance aids
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Care workers can administer medication by a
specialist technique in exceptional
circumstances but only if they have been
trained and assessed by a healthcare
professional.
The agency’s procedures must include that
care workers can refuse to assist with the
administration of medication by specialist
techniques if they do not feel competent to
do so.
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There is no requirement for patients receiving
support through a Care Agency in their own
home or in Extra Care Housing to have their
medication dispensed into a MDS
Use of the MDS system should be decided by
an assessment of the patients needs through
DDA (Disability Discrimination Act 1995)
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Although domiciliary staff may be asked to
‘select and prepare medicines for
administration from a monitored dosage
system or compliance aid’ this does not mean
that they are not allowed to administer
medication from original containers. As long
as the care worker has been fully trained in
medicines administration and feels
themselves competent to do so then they are
able to administer medication from the
original packs
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Training for domiciliary care staff must be at
least to the same standard as for care
workers in a care home
The domiciliary care agency should provide a
training package that will meet both the
needs of care workers and service users,
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How to prepare the correct dose of
medication for ingestion or application
How to administer medication that is not
given by invasive techniques, including
tablets, capsules and liquid medicines given
by mouth; ear, eye and nasal drops; inhalers;
and external applications
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The responsibility of the care worker to
ensure that medicines are only administered
to the person for whom they were prescribed
◦ Right dose
◦ Right time
◦ Right method/ route
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Checking the medication use by date has not
expired
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Checking the person has not already been
given the medication by anyone else,
including a relative or care worker from
another agency
Recognising and reporting possible side
effects
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Reporting refusals and medication errors
How a care worker should administer
medicines prescribed ‘as required’ e.g. pain
killers or laxatives
What care workers should do when people
request non- prescribed medicines
Understanding the service providers policy
for record keeping.
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It is the Care Providers responsibility to
ensure that staff have the correct training and
are confident and competent to assist with or
administer medication.
Guidance on training can be found on the
Skills For Care website
www.skillsforcare.org.uk
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Bharat Patel Head of Medicines Management
Walsall tPCT
◦ bharat.patel@walsall.nhs.uk
◦ Tel. 01922619908
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Wendy Bagnall Medicines Management
Technician
◦ Wendy.bagnall@walsall.nhs.uk