Medication Management Regulations

Safe Handling, Administration, and Disposal of Medications

Domiciliary care providers must ensure that medications are handled, administered, and disposed of safely and in accordance with the prescriber's instructions. Key requirements include:

• Medications must be stored securely and at the correct temperature
• Medications should only be administered by trained and competent staff
• Medication administration records (MAR) must be accurately maintained
• Unused or expired medications should be disposed of safely and in line with local protocols

Controlled Drugs Regulations

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 places controls on certain medicines, known as controlled drugs. Care providers must have policies and procedures in place for managing controlled drugs, including assessment of risk, ordering, collecting, storing, administering, record-keeping, and disposal.

There are no extra legal requirements for storing controlled drugs in a person's own home, but a risk assessment should be completed. Staff administering controlled drugs must be trained and assessed as competent, and detailed records should be kept. Disposal of controlled drugs should be done through a community pharmacy, and the process should be recorded in the care plan.

Medication Errors and Incident Reporting

Despite best efforts, medication errors can occur. Domiciliary care providers must have systems in place to identify, report, and learn from medication errors and incidents. This includes:

• Encouraging a culture of openness and transparency in reporting errors
• Investigating medication errors to identify contributing factors and prevent recurrence
• Notifying relevant authorities (e.g., CQC, local safeguarding teams) of serious incidents
• Providing support and training to staff involved in medication errors

Medication Policies and Procedures for Care Providers

Domiciliary care providers should have comprehensive medication policies and procedures in place to ensure safe and effective medication management. These policies should cover:

• Roles and responsibilities of staff involved in medication management
• Procedures for ordering, receiving, storing, and disposing of medications
• Guidance on medication administration, including consent and covert administration
• Management of medication errors, incidents, and near-misses
• Training and competency requirements for staff involved in medication management