National Institute for Health and Care Excellence(NICE) Guidance: Managing medicines in care homes
NICE guidance (SC1, March 2014) looks at all aspects of medicines management in care homes – is available here
Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
Care Home Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians work closely with the Care Home Support Team and are available to support managers and staff with all aspects of medicines management within the home. For example: reviewing ordering procedures, reducing medicine waste, advising on medicines policies and safe systems to reduce medication errors and providing training to staff. Pharmacists also carry out medication reviews for residents, the outcomes and recommendations are discussed with the resident, family / carer, care home and GP.
The care home pharmacy team can be contacted by email at: glccg.pharm.carehomeglos@nhs.net
The pharmacy team has a referral form which you can download by clicking here
Medicines Policy
Care home providers should have a medicines policy. NICE have developed a checklist for health and social care staff developing and updating a care home medicines policy. This should be used to check all the necessary information is contained in a medicines policy whilst ensuring it is relevant to the care home setting and scope of practice for the staff.
Homely Remedies
A homely remedy is a non-prescription medicine that a care home can purchase over the counter (i.e. medicines are owned by CH) for the use of its residents.
An example of a Homely Remedies Authorisation Sheet which may be adapted for use is available here.
Care home providers may find it useful to look at the following resources with guidance and template policies which can be adapted for local use:
Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee (RMOC)
Prescqipp: a national resource for medicine related care for patients
Good Practice Guidance Sheets
The team has developed the following guidance sheets. Some are still under development and will appear here when complete.
- Medication ordering
- Refridgerated storage
- When required medication
- Change of medication communication form
- Tips for reducing medicine waste (Poster)
- Expiry dates for medications
- Covert administration of medicines
- Self-administration of medicines
CQC Medicines Information
Information for health and social care services can by found by following this link
Resources
E-learning for care home staff:
PrescQIPP has produced an e-learning course which supports the implementation of recommendations in the NICE guideline on managing medicines in care homes. It also supports
statement 3 in the NICE quality standard on medicines management in care homes.
Medicines Administration for Carers is an online course available from Futurelearn by clicking here
Inhalers: You can check how to use an inhaler and whether your patient has the right inhaler technique at RightBreathe
Inhaler flashcards are available here
The Association of UK Dieticians has fact sheets for Calcium, Vitamin D and Osteoporosis
Continued Professional Development (CPD) Days
The April 2019 CPD Day presentations are available below:
Medication Ordering
Covert Administration
OTC, Homely remedies and self-care
Topical Preparations
When Required PRN medication
The next Medicines Management Training Day will be on September 9, 2019.
Pain Management
Abbey Pain Scale
Wong-Baker Pain ScaleI have dementia and I feel pain flyer
