Medication Administration for Healthcare Assistants Working in the Clients Own Home

Introduction

This course is designed to inform and support Health Care Assistants (HCA) who are more frequently finding themselves in situations where their patient is unable to self administer medication safely. This can occur in situations where the patient lives alone being visited infrequently by relatives or friends and where the health and safety of the patient would suffer as a result of forgetting to take medication or taking it incorrectly due to cognitive or physical impairment.

It is not advisable for HCA’s to involve themselves in the administration of medication where there is a relative, friend or more qualified professional to take on the task.

In circumstances where the patient’s ability to self administer medication was known to be unsafe the HCA could administer medication if fully supported and indemnified by his or her employer, with the knowledge and full support of the prescribing General Practitioner (GP) and the knowledge and co-operation of the dispensing Pharmacist. In such circumstance the HCA should have a letter of indemnity from the employer accepting legal responsibility for the HCA to administer medication and the GP endorse this by writing on the prescription that the medication could be administered by the HCA. The medication would then be dispensed in blister packs by the pharmacist.

AIM

The aim of this course is to inform Health Care Assistants under what circumstances they might administer medication to their client in the clients own home; how to administer the medication correctly and safely and how keep accurate records of the task.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this course the students will:

• Understand the key requirements of administering medication, as employees of home care companies, in the homes of their clients.
• Have a greater sense of responsibility and an awareness of the dangers of poor practice in the administration of medication.
• Be able to outline the legislation relevant to the administration of medication.
• Have a heightened awareness of the importance of accurate recording.