People have the right to choose to manage their own medicines. Staff should consider a person's choice and whether there is a risk to them or others. Show
NICE guidanceNICE guidance SC1 says that staff should assume a person can self administer (unless a risk assessment indicates otherwise). When people are receiving short term respite, or intermediate care, they need to keep their skills. This includes keeping the skills they need to take their own medicines when they return home. ProcessYou should have a policy in place for self administration of medicines. Your process for self administration of medicines (including controlled drugs) should include:
Individual risk assessmentSelf administration can vary from person to person. Care home staff should find out how much support a person needs to take and look after their individual medicines. This should be risk assessed. Risk assessment should consider:
The care home manager should coordinate the risk assessment. They should decide who to involve. Assess the risk individually for each person. Involve the person and their family members or carers if they wish. Involve care home staff with the training and skills for the assessment. Involve other health and social care practitioners as appropriate. For example, the GP and pharmacist can offer help and advice. They could identify how to adjust medicines to make them easier to self administer. Support to self administerSupport could include:
Storing medicinesHow to store medicines for self administration will be identified in the person’s care plan. For example, you might store the medicines in a lockable cupboard or drawer in their room. The storage place must not be accessible to other people. People should be able to access any medicines when needed. This includes controlled drugs. Keeping recordsYou must keep records when:
Where a person self administers a medicine, this should be recorded on the MAR. Individual doses taken by the person do not need to be recorded. You have known Miss Kelly for over three years, as you have been caring for her and her sister. The two of you have a special connection, so it is particularly distressing to you when you watch her slowly, over time, deteriorate because of her arthritis and heart condition. You have always aided with bathing, meal preparation, and light chores, but she has taken care of her own medications. You know she takes a few pills in the morning, and you have been careful during her bath not to dislodge the medication patch she wears for her heart condition. It seems that lately Miss Kelly has gotten much weaker, and she struggles to get her medication bottles open and then break the tablets in two. She confides that she isn’t always sure that she’s opening the right medication bottle because her vision is blurrier than it used to be. Most worrisome is that fact that she occasionally has trouble swallowing her pills, and even gets choked sometimes. Additionally, she has a new diagnosis of asthma and now uses an inhaler. You report your observations to your supervisor, and changes are made in the care plan to include medication self-administration assistance. You haven’t helped Miss Kelly with her medications before, and you aren’t sure exactly of what “assisting” with her medications really means. Questions flood your mind:
If the answers to these questions are unclear, rest assured that you are not alone in your confusion. There is a lot to know when assisting with self-administration of medications! Your AbilitiesBefore you can assist with the self-administration of medications, there are specific abilities that you must be able to perform. These abilities include:
In addition, you must be aware of and follow scope of practice guidelines and organizational policies and procedures. Be mindful of the fact that practice guidelines and regulations do vary from state to state and from organization to organization. Be sure you understand how state laws govern your practice, and check with your supervisor for clarification if you have questions. Before You BeginBefore assisting someone with taking their medications, you must remember to:
Other ConsiderationsBecause some medications can cause problems with constipation and dehydration, providing adequate amounts of fluid is often essential. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s guidelines for recommendations for fluid intake with certain medications and follow them. The same is true when giving medications that must be taken with food. Remember that everyone has the right to privacy. It is your responsibility to make sure that all medications are administered in a private environment. For example, before giving a medication in front of another person, make sure the individual taking the medication is comfortable with this. You may need to ask visitors to leave the room or take the individual to a private location before assisting with the self-administration of medications. Remember, those who are not able to communicate or have mental or cognitive impairments should also have their privacy and dignity protected. Other considerations include:
Be MindfulThere are many things you must be mindful of as you assist individuals with self-administration of medications. They include abilities and knowledge that you must demonstrate before assisting with self-administration of medication, strategies you should use during the process, and things to watch for and report. Always be aware of and stay within your scope of practice, job description, and capabilities to ensure the safety of the people you care for. Medication Training for CaregiversIf members of your organization are worried about providing medication to those you care for, consider providing additional training to your staff. According to a 2017 study, “Medication errors occur frequently in home care and can threaten the safety of patients.” What steps must be followed when assisting patients with selfRecognize an order that requires judgment or discretion. Safely store medications. Complete a medication observation record or other required documentation. Recognize general signs of adverse reactions to medications and report such reactions.
What is self administration of medication?Self-Administration of Medicines is a multi-disciplinary process designed to give patients the opportunity to continue to take their own medication whilst in hospital, and to provide knowledge to patients about their medicines.
What are 3 ways that medication can be administered to a patient?Drug Administration. Taken by mouth (orally). Given by injection into a vein (intravenously, IV), into a muscle (intramuscularly, IM), into the space around the spinal cord (intrathecally), or beneath the skin (subcutaneously, sc). Placed under the tongue (sublingually) or between the gums and cheek (buccally). Why it is important to support service users to administer their own medication?Self-administration of medicines is believed to increase patients' understanding about their medication and to promote their independence and autonomy in the hospital setting.
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