| Prompting Vs Administration of medicines..... | | | | medicines? |
| A topic close to many of our hearts if we are in | | | | Therefore, if you are prompting medication you |
| the business of caring for people who take or use | | | | are actually administering it, there is no difference |
| any form of medication. It's a mine field isn't it? If | | | | in the eyes of the law. The same checks need to |
| you or your care staff were administering | | | | be in place, the same record keeping needs to be |
| medicines to your service users - you would want | | | | completed, the same level of knowledge is |
| to ensure that they were fully trained and | | | | required to fully support the client - even if you |
| competent to do so wouldn't you? Me too. | | | | only prompt from a monitored dosage system. |
| Supporting people in taking their medication is all a | | | | The monitored dosage system must be prepared |
| bit scary. What if you get it wrong? The results | | | | by the pharmacy or a dispensing doctor for you |
| could be disastrous and therefore many agencies | | | | to legally prompt or administer from it and whilst |
| prefer to think they are acting on the safe side | | | | they have a responsibility to ensure that it leaves |
| by not getting involved in medicines administration | | | | the pharmacy with the correct medication inside, |
| at all. | | | | you still have the responsibility to ensure that the |
| As a result care organisations are still not training | | | | right person gets the right dose of the right |
| their carers in this vitally important area of care. | | | | medicines by the right route at the right time. |
| Why? Because they are under the mis perception | | | | So - if you are supporting service users who use |
| that because they only prompt the administration | | | | medication you must ensure that you give your |
| of medicines, and do not (in their eyes) administer | | | | care workers the best possible training, relevant |
| it, they therefore do not need to go to the | | | | to your sector of care, that meets CSCI and |
| trouble or expense of training their team. | | | | Skills for Care requirements in order to safe |
| BUT - did you know that in the eyes of the law | | | | guard your clients, your care workers and your |
| Administration means to both personally | | | | business. |
| administer AND to prompt the administration of | | | | |