This document discusses the administration of medication by health care assistants and outlines important competencies. It notes that assistants must have the knowledge and skills for safe medication administration without direct supervision. They must keep accurate records of medications given and assess effectiveness. The document reviews benefits of proper medication management such as improved health and safety. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring the right patient receives the correct drug, dose, route and timing of administration. Key competencies include patient identification, understanding dosages and side effects, accurate record keeping, and reporting any issues or reactions. The document concludes with considerations about the high volume and costs of medications in healthcare systems.

1. Administration
Of Medication For Health Care
Assistants
By Sharon Leverton

2. National Code
Of Conduct
“Provide a high standard of practice and care at all times”
“Keep your skills and knowledge up to date”
• You must have the knowledge and skills for safe and effective practice when
working without direct supervision
• You must recognise and work within the limits of your competence
• You must keep your knowledge and skills up to date throughout your working life
• You must take part in appropriate learning and practice activities that maintain and
develop your competence and performance
“Keep clear and accurate records”
• You must keep accurate records of what you tell those in your care, the
assessments you make, the treatment and medicines you give and how effective
these have been

3. Benefits of
Medicine Management
• Improve health
• Better access to services
• Promote self care
• Use of skills
• Better patient information
• Greater choice for patients
• Patient safety
• Cost Effectiveness

4. Why Do Medicines
Need Managing?
• Prescribing is the most common therapeutic
intervention in the NHS
• The complexity, volume and cost of medicines
are all increasing
• Medicines have the potential to do harm as
well as be beneficial

5. Medicine Management
And You!
To ensure the right Patient receives the…
• Correct medication
• Correct dose
• Via a correct route
• Medication at the right time
• Medication for the correct duration of time
• Medication administered by appropriately
trained staff

6. Competencies
• Identifies patient correctly
• Is able to discuss the issue of patient consent
• Understands patient’s care plan
• Checks any known allergies
• Knows therapeutic uses of drug, normal dose, side effects,
precautions and contra-indications
• Appreciates the need and importance of educating the
patient about their medication and the potential side effects

7. Competencies Continued
• Understands the importance of accurate record keeping
• Understands correct procedure for recording of controlled
drugs stock
• Understands the importance of accurate stock control and
correct storage
• Understands the procedure for reporting incidents as per
trust guidelines
• Understands the procedure for reporting adverse reactions
i.e. Gp and caseload holder/supervisor

8. Other areas
Disposal of medicines - Excluding Controlled
Drugs
• In community settings patients own medicines
must be returned to the pharmacy that
dispensed them
• Medicines are classed as hazardous waste and
must not be transported in unlicensed
vehicles

9. Sharps
• Yellow bin
• Includes vaccines or injections with a needle
attached
Pharmaceutical waste
• Green bin
• Tablets, capsules etc.

10. Food for thought
• Medicines are the most frequent treatment
provided for patients in the NHS
• Each year GPs issue over 961.5 million Rx
items
• Cost £8.8 billion
• Medicine related errors account
for 11% of all adverse events

11. Any questions?