QCF 3 UNIT 616

1. The main legislation that governs the use of medication is The Medicines Acts 1968. The following is a list of legislations that have a direct impact upon the handling of medication within a social care setting.

* Care homes keep records of receipt, administration and disposal of controlled drugs in a register (Standards 9.8 and 20.11)

Assisting – At the request of the service user, opening bottles and packets; removing lids; popping pills out of packages when the service user cannot physically do this and has asked the care worker to help with that specific medicine; shaking bottles.

Training is used to build knowledge and skills after employees have made the personal decision to support the change.

1. The current legislation, guideline policies and protocols relevant to the administration of medication are.

1.1. There are four acts that governs the use of medication in social care settings.

3.1 Describe the roles and responsibilities of those involved in prescribing, dispensing and supporting use of medication

The Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973 (and later amendments) The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974),

Legislation – The Medicines Act, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, The Health and Safety at Work Act, The Misuse of Drugs Act, The Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations, Health and Social Care Act

1. In the workplace there is a generic Medication Management Policy and Procedures for Adult Services (Issue 10, 2012) document. This is kept to hand in a locked cupboard, readily available to read. It requires that all Healthcare Staff are given mandatory training and refreshers are provided. Legislation which surrounds the administration of medication includes The Medicines Act 1968, The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, The Data Protection Act 1998, The Care Standards Act 2000 and The Health and Social Care Act 2001

Non care setting - Medications are often stored and administered in a variety of non-health care settings. These settings include: primary and secondary schools, Child day care centres, Board and care homes, Jails and prisons. In all these settings, employees frequently are responsible for handling and administering prescription and over-the-counter medications to clients or residents. Some organizations may employ licensed health professionals to directly manage the medication administration process. However, many of these settings have no licensed health professionals involved. Where medications are stored and administered to individuals, written policies and procedures should address the following: Acquisition of medications (e.g., from parents, caregivers, pharmacies), Specification of which personnel are allowed access to medications and allowed to administer medications to students, clients or residents, Labelling and packaging of medications managed for students, clients

There are several legislations relevant to the administration of medication in the care home. Although not expected that care staffs have detailed knowledge of the legislations, they do need to be aware of the legal difference between drugs and the legal framework that allows them to handle medicines on behalf of the service user. The Medicines Act 1968 being the umbrella and from this several amendments and legislations have been implemented. The following is a list of legislation that has a direct impact upon the handling of medication within a social care setting.

M1 – discuss organisational policies and procedures are by influenced legislation and guidelines with regard to the administration of medication

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA 2009), the wrong route of administrating medication accounts for 1.3 million injuries each year. An article published in September issue of the Journal of Patient Safety estimates there are between 210,000 and 400,000 deaths per year associated with medical errors. This makes medical errors the third leading cause of deaths in the United States, behind that comes heart disease and cancer. To prevent medical errors always follow the Three Checks and most importantly the Rights of Medication Administration. The “Rights of Medication Administration” helps to ensure accuracy when administering medication to a patient. When administering medication the administer should ensure they have the Right Medication, Right Patient, Right Dosage, Right Route, Right Time, Right Route, Right Reason, and Right Documentation. Also remember the patient has the right to refuse, assess patient for pain, and always assess the patient for signs of effects.

There are several legislations in place with protocols for the administration of medication which I have listed below. The main policy re admin of drugs and storing of drugs and medicines is the Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health or COSHH but along with this there are other policies in place as per the list below.