Meticulous medication management is vital to the performance of every health and social care organisation.
Patients rely on the medication prescribed by healthcare professionals to minimise pain and discomfort, alleviate or manage symptoms, and help them to live a more comfortable life.
All health and social care organisations that deal with patient medication require medication management systems, processes, and policies to help them to manage medication safely, cost-effectively, and competently to achieve the best outcomes for both the organisation and its patients.
What is medication management?
According to the Royal College of Nursing, medication management was defined by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as, “the clinical, cost-effective and safe use of medicines to ensure patients get the maximum benefit from the medicines they need, while at the same time minimising potential harm.”
All health and social care organisations require the healthcare professionals they employ to understand the importance of medication management and the systems and processes they need to follow to ensure the safe use of medicines.
Medicine management can be roughly divided into five different areas:
- Storage of medicines
- Dispensing medicines
- Administration of medication
- The safe disposal of medicines
- Medication admin and record keeping
All employees within health and social care organisations that are involved with any aspect of patient medication should receive suitable training in medication management and the organisation’s policies.
The importance of medication management in health and social care
Health and social care organisations should have a rigorous medication management system in place to ensure the safe, consistent, and effective administration of their patients’ medications.
While some patients may only have one type of medication to manage, patients with more complex medical requirements may require several medications to treat multiple health conditions. The more prescriptions a patient has, the more difficult it can be for them or their healthcare providers to manage without the proper processes in place.
Proper medicine management has many benefits for both the patient and the health and social care staff and organisations, including:
Reduce medication management errors
- Mistakes with medication can cause unpleasant or dangerous side effects, render the medication ineffective, or even result in the death of patients. Effective medication management services reduce illness and death rates to provide safer and more reliable healthcare services.
Provide targeted care and achieve the best outcome for patients.
- When medicines are properly managed, not only do patients receive the best medication for them but their response to the dosage is carefully monitored too. This means that if their health suddenly declines, or they stop responding in the same way, the prescription or dosage can be altered accordingly. This careful management helps patients to get the best results from their medication.
Provide cost-effective care
- Errors with medication can have dangerous consequences; they may cause a patient’s condition to deteriorate or sometimes even result in a medical emergency. Mistakes like these are not only dangerous for patients, but they are also costly for health and social care organisations, causing patients to require more medical treatment, become hospitalised, or sometimes even require a trip to A&E, all of which could have otherwise been avoided if medicines had been properly managed.
Peace of mind for patients and their friends and relatives.
- Many patients, particularly the elderly, have problems remembering to take medications at the right time. Professional medication management services give everyone involved peace of mind that the patient is receiving the correct medication at the correct time.
Medication management training
Here at CBAT, we run professional one-day Medication Management training sessions online in virtual classrooms. Our training sessions provide health and social care staff with all the information they need to manage patient medication safely and competently.
Key areas that our course covers include:
- Medication management legislation
- Medication documentation and record-keeping
- Reporting and escalation procedures
- Prescriptions
- Risks relating to medication management
- Different forms of medication
Our medication management training sessions are CPD accredited and Qualsafe certified, and we are the preferred training provider for some of the largest healthcare organisations in the country.
Completing this course will provide you with formal recognition of your ability to manage medication confidently and to national standards.
For more information about our Medication Management training course, give our team a call today on 01772 816 922, send an email to , or book online to secure your place.
Introduction
We take medications to diagnose, treat, or prevent illness. They come in lots of different forms and we take them in many different ways. You may take a drug yourself, or a healthcare provider may give it to you.
Drugs can be dangerous, though, even when they’re meant to improve our health. Taking them correctly and understanding the right way to administer them can reduce the risks. Read on to learn the importance of using medication as directed.
There are several different ways drugs can be administered. You’re probably familiar with injections and pills that you swallow, but medications can be given in many other ways as well.
Routes of medication administration are described in the table below.
The route used to give a drug depends on three main factors:
- the part of the body being treated
- the way the drug works within the body
- the formula of the drug
For instance, some drugs are destroyed by stomach acid if they’re taken by mouth. So, they may have to be given by injection instead.
Not all types of medications can be administered at home or by someone without special training. Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers are trained in how to give you medication safely.
Administration of medication requires thorough understanding the drug, including:
- how it moves through your body
- when it needs to be administered
- possible side effects and dangerous reactions
- proper storage, handling, and disposal
Healthcare providers are trained in all of these issues. In fact, many healthcare providers keep in mind the “five rights” when they administer drugs:
- the right patient
- the right drug
- the right time
- the right dose
- the right route
Medication errors happen all too often in the United States, even when drugs are given by professionals. The Food and Drug Administration receives more than 100,000 reports of medication errors annually through its MedWatch program. These errors can take place when:
- prescribing a drug
- entering the drug or dosage information into a computer system
- a drug is being prepared or dispensed
- a drug is taken by or given to someone
The “rights” are a starting point in helping to make sure that medications are given correctly and safely.
It’s important to take only the dosage described in the prescription label or other instructions. Dosage is carefully determined by your doctor and can be affected by your age, weight, kidney and liver health, and other health conditions.
For some medications, dosage must be determined by trial and error. In these cases, your healthcare provider would need to monitor you when you first start treatment.
For example, if your doctor prescribes thyroid medications or blood thinners, you would likely need to have several blood tests over time to show if the dosage is too high or too low. The results from these tests would help your doctor adjust your dosage until they find the one that’s right for you.
Many medications need to reach a certain level in your bloodstream to be effective. They need to be given at specific times, such as every morning, to keep that amount of drug in your system.
Taking a dose too soon could lead to drug levels that are too high, and missing a dose or waiting too long between doses could lower the amount of drug in your body and keep it from working properly.
Adverse events, or unwanted and negative effects, can happen with any drug. These effects can include an allergic reaction or an interaction with another drug you’re taking.
To help avoid these problems, be sure to tell your doctor about any other medications you’re taking or any times you’ve had an allergy to drugs or foods.
A drug with high risk of adverse effects may be administered only by a healthcare provider. And in some uncommon cases, your healthcare provider may keep you in their facility so they can observe how the drug affects you.
If you take a medication yourself, it’s up to you to watch for problems, such as a rash, swelling, or other side effects. If you notice any problems, be sure to let your doctor know.
Be sure to take your medications correctly to get the most out them and to reduce your risk of side effects and other problems. Anyone giving you the drug should follow your doctor’s instructions carefully.
Make sure that you understand everything about taking your medication. If you have any questions, talk to your doctor. Some questions you might ask include:
- I’m not sure how often I should take this medication. Can you explain your instructions more clearly?
- My nurse gives me my medication now. Can I be trained to give it to myself?
- I’m having trouble taking my medication. Can a family member or healthcare provider give it to me instead?
- Are there any side effects I should watch for?
- What time of day should I take this drug? Or does it matter?
- Am I taking any medications that this drug could interact with?