20081128 Administration of Medicines in Care Homes

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Professional Advice:

The administration of medicines in care homes

Purpose of this document

1. This document gives CSCI inspectors a guide to good practice in how medication should be administered in care homes. It covers: • what the regulations and national minimum standards say • what the issues are when people look after and take their own medicines • what are the equality and diversity issues that care providers need to consider • what safeguards must be in place when care workers give medicines to people • whether a care worker can mix medicines with food or drink • why practice is different in care homes (nursing) • the pros and cons of monitored dosage systems • what to do about homely remedies • what an inspector should look for.

This guidance is linked with the paper ‘Professional Advice: Training care workers to safely administer medicines in care homes’.

What do the regulations and national minimum standards say?

2. Regulation 13 (2) of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 requires the registered person ‘to make arrangements for the …. safe administration …. of medicines’ prescribed for the people they care for.

3. National minimum standards for care homes include that the care provider: • supports people who wish to and are capable of self-administering their medicines to do so safely. • provides care workers with a robust procedure to administer medicines to those people who rely on them for this aspect of care.

4. The national minimum standard that applies to care homes (personal care) states that ‘all medicines, including controlled drugs, (except those for self administration) are administered by designated and appropriately trained staff’.

5. The national minimum standard for care homes (nursing) states
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