Practice No.
125
Reference: 10/06
Version 3
HCC AS 06/09
Page 1 of 3
CSCI/CQC: Quality
Performance and
Methods Directorate :
The Safe
Management of
Controlled Drugs in
Care Homes (Jan 07)
Last up-dated
Mar 2009
NMC Code of Professional
Conduct
NMC Standards for
Medication Management Aug
2008
GSCC Code of practice for
social care workers and
employers
The Royal Marsden
Hospital Manual of
Clinical Nursing
Procedures
HANDLING AND USE OF HOMELY REMEDIES
This defines the arrangements for the sourcing, storage and use of Homely
Remedies within the a residential or nursing home:
NB: These guidelines must be read in conjunction with the Medication
Management Policy 60/09
‘A homely remedy is a medication that may normally be bought by a person
without calling a doctor’.
1. Residents may purchase their own homely remedies, but whenever
possible they must be encouraged to tell staff what they are taking so that
a record of their medication can be kept.
2. Where prescribed medication is also being taken, it will be necessary for
the home to check with the pharmacist for possible drug interactions. This
includes herbal and homeopathic remedies as they have the same
potential for drug interactions and side effects as any other medication.
3. Where residents are administering their own homely remedies, a full risk
assessment must be made and recorded in the care plan, and the
remedies must be kept in the resident’s room in a locked cupboard.
4. A list of homely remedies which may be made available to residents, must
be sent to each General Practice which has patients in the home, for the
doctors to approve, sign and return to the home. This signed authority
must include details of any resident who may not be given a homely
remedy. These lists must be kept in the same folder as the Medication
Administration Record. (MAR sheets)
5. Homely remedies must be stored in a separate, labelled cupboard from
prescribed medication. Expiry dates and storage details must be checked
regularly and unused and expired items returned to the pharmacy in the
specified way. If a tube of cream is opened for a resident it must be kept
only for that person and must not used by anyone else.
6. Homely remedies must only be administered at the request of the resident,
or by a designated member of staff, for the condition specified on the
homely remedy chart.
7. Before administering a homely remedy, the relevant list must be checked
to make sure that the resident’s GP has given permission for the
medication to be administered to that individual.
8. The guidelines for each medication must be followed, and if there is any
query a pharmacist must be consulted before the medication is
administered.
9. A record must be kept on the Medication Administration Record sheet of
the date, time, quantity of the medication given, and the fact that it was a
homely remedy.
10. Homely remedies may only be given for a maximum of 48 hours. However,
if at any time there is concern about the resident’s condition, a doctor must
be informed.
11. If a medication which is included on the ‘Homely Remedy’ list is prescribed
by a doctor for a resident, it cannot be used as a homely remedy for that
resident, but must be given according to the instructions on the
prescription.
Sample ‘homely’ remedies list
All doses given must be entered on the MAR sheet, with the quantity, date and
time. The remedies must be stored in a separate, labelled, locked cupboard
separate from the resident’s prescribed medication.
MAX
DOSE IN
24
HOURS
50mls
CONDITION
DRUG
DOSE
Constipation
Mist
Magnesium
Hydroxide
25-50mls at
night
Constipation
Senna
Tablets
Lactulose
One or two
tablets at night
15mls twice
daily
2 tablets
Dry Cough
Simple
Linctus
Sugar-free
30mls
Indigestion
Mist
Magnesium
Trisilicate
10mls three
times a day,
can be taken
in warm water
10mls in water
three times a
day
Constipation
30mls
30mls
CONTRAINDICATIONS and
PRECAUTIONS
Contraindication: Elderly
and debilitated persons,
those with Renal
impairment or Gastrointestinal conditions.
Caution: May cause
colic
Caution: May colour the
urine or stools
Caution: May take up to
48 hours to work.
Can cause wind.
Caution: Sugar free
linctus can be given to
diabetics
Contraindication: Do not
give within one hour of
Digoxin
Caution: May cause
DOCTOR
APPROVED
Mild Pain
Temperature
Paracetamol
500mg
tablets
One or two
tablets four
times a day
leaving at least
four hours
between
doses
8 tablets
diarrhoea
Contraindication:
Persons with reduced
liver function, or already
taking other medication
containing Paracetamol
e.g. Co-Proxamol,
Co-Dydramol.
I authorise the medication indicated to be given to residents at the request of
the resident or the discretion of the manager.
DOCTOR……………………………………..
DATE………………………………...................
PRACTICE……………………………..............