Diploma in Health & Social Care Lvl 2 Medication

Diploma in Health & Social Care
Optional Units – Medication (Administering and Effect Monitoring)

Unit 1

Understand legislation, policy and procedure relevant to administration of medication.

Current Legislation

Mental Capacity Act 2005 – provides a legal framework to empower and protect people who may lack the capacity to make some decisions for themselves.

Health and Social care act 2008 sec 13 – regulations 2010 states ‘ the registered person must protect service users against the risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medicines, by means of making appropriate arrangements for the obtaining, recording, handling, using, safe keeping, dispensing, safe administration, and disposal of medicines used for the purpose of the regulated activity’

CQC’s outcome 9 – management of medicines – puts in place the essential standards of quality and safety.

Medicines Act 1968 – puts drugs and medicines into 3 different classes: general sales (gsl), pharmacy (p), prescription only (pom)

Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 – this act controls the classification of drugs, and the control of drugs considered dangerous or harmful, classified into 3 schedules.

Unit 2

Knowledge of common types of medicine and their use

2.1 – Common Types of Medication, their effects and side effects

|Medicine Name |Effect |Potential Side Effects |
|Paracetamol |Pain relief for mild to moderate pain |Side effects are rare but can include – rashes,|
| | |blood disorders, hypotension, liver & renal |
| | |damage, can kill if overdosed on. |
|Ibuprofen |Anti-inflammatory for mild to moderate pain |Nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, as with Paracetamol|
| | |can severely poison if overdosed on |
|Antihistamines |Used in the treatment of nasal allergies i.e. |Side effects are very rare, the most common of |
| |hay fever |which is drowsiness |
|Rennie / Gaviscon (calcium carbonate) |Used for treating heartburn, indigestion, acid |None, short term medicine, symptoms persist see|
| |reflux |doctor. |
|Mercilon |Combined hormonal contraceptive, used for |Nausea, vomiting, headaches, migraines, fluid |
| |treatment of menstrual symptoms. |retention, thrombosis. |

Identify medication which demands the measurement of specific physiological measurements.

This task asks us to list medication that effectiveness is reduced or increased based on the patience size, BMI etc. there are some medications that are unsuitable for people who are obese or overweight, and vice – versa, according to the British National Formulary which we have use at Henshaws, any person who is prescribed medication should have their size etc taken into consideration before the prescription is dispensed. The effectiveness of all medication is dependant on the person taking it, here is a short list of medications used regularly at Henshaws that are affected by a persons size, weight etc: -

• Insulin • Warfarin • The combined contraceptive pill • Diuretics ( fluid retention medicines) • Lithium (used to treat depression)

Describe the common adverse reactions to medication, how each can be recognised, and the action that needs to be taken.

|Adverse Reaction |How it can be recognised |Action to take |
|Skin reactions, rashes etc |Rashes appear on the surface of the skin |If its because of a recent change in |
| |and are easily identifiable, if you can not|medication or new medication, it could be a|
| |see them the most common complaint with |simple side effect that will dissipate |
| |them is an itching or burning sensation. |after a couple of days as the body adjusts |
| | |to the new medication, the rash should be |
| | |monitored on a daily basis and if symptoms |
| | |persist see a GP. |
|Headaches, migraines etc |Headaches are identifiable by how the |If tis due to a recent change in medication|
| |person reacts to them, most people will |etc it could be a side effect, always check|
| |complain of pain, but may also have changes|the info leaflet, if symptoms persist, pain|
| |in mood or candour which could also be a |relief can be administered a slong as it |
| |clue. |doesn’t react with other medications being |
| | |taken. |
|Nausea, stomach cramps and complaints. |Patient may complain of pain or discomfort |If it’s a direct reaction to the |
| |in that area, vomiting, or sudden changes |medication, then you need to seek advice |
| |in bowel movement are also indicators. |from GP immediately. |
| | |If symptoms occur after medication is |
| | |taken, then the body may not have absorbed |
| | |it making the medication ineffective. |

Explain the different routes of medication.

Oral – medications are taken by mouth, in pill, capsule or liquid form and absorbed into the system through the digestive system, this process is called absorption, its very slow and cannot be used if vomiting is occurring.

Enteral – this is where medication is administered via the rectum and is absorbed into the system by the lower digestive tract.

Mucosal – this is where medication is delivered through the nose or inhaled and are absorbed through the nasal mucosa or bronchioles. Vaginal administration is also considered mucosal.

Parenteral – this is where the medication administration involves injecting a drug directly into a vein, muscle, artery, abdominal cavity, heart, or fatty tissue beneath the skin, the speed of absorption varies but is faster than oral administration, this is used when more complete and faster absorption of the medication is required.

Percutaneous – this is where medications are absorbed directly through the skin into the blood stream. Some hormone replacements are administered by patches, these are absorbed slowly and evenly over a period of time.

Unit 3

Explain the types, purpose and function of materials and equipment needed for the administration of medication via the different routes.

|Medication Route |Equipment |Equipment Use |
|Oral |Gloves, medication receptacle, fluid. |Gloves are to protect you and the patient, |
| | |receptacle is for the medication to go in |
| | |so they can get it to their mouth, fluid is|
| | |to aid taking the medication to get it into|
| | |the body effectivley |
|Enternal |Gloves |To protect you and the patient, as this is |
| | |a particularly intimate way to administer |
| | |medication, it is usually used for epilepsy|
| | |sufferers after they have had a seizure, |
| | |diazepam and vallium both come in a |
| | |suppository form. |
|Mucosal |Vaporiser |This will come with the medication along |
| | |with instructions on how to use it. |
|Parenteral |Gloves, syringe, small medical dressing |When medication needs to be injected it is |
| | |done by trained nurses as it is very |
| | |difficult and cimplicated and the margin |
| | |for error is very small. The syringe is |
| | |used to get the medicine directly into the |
| | |bloodstream where its needed, the dressing |
| | |is to cover up the area where the needle |
| | |went in to prevent infections and blood |
| | |loss. |
|Percutaneous |Medicine patches |These are normally slow release hormone |
| | |type medications, they are attached to the |
| | |skin and the medication is slowly absorbed |
| | |into the body over the day. The patches |
| | |will come with full instructions that |
| | |should be followed at all times. |

Identify the required information from prescriptions / medication charts.

On a prescription or MAR chart the following information must be on it: -

• The patients full name • Date of Birth • Address • Medication name • Dosage • Instructions for medication • Name of the pharmacy • Name of the doctor and signature

Unit 4

Apply standard precautions to infection control

When administering medication you should always and without fail do the following: -

1. wash your hands 2. wear appropriate PPE (gloves) 3. If administering tablets, should be put in a new, sterilised, plastic receptacle which should be thrown away after use. 4. Creams should be applied using cosmetic wipes or pads. 5. After medication has been dispensed, remove PPE and throw away, wash your hands before beginning the next person’s medications.

Explain the appropriate timing of medication.

Medication has to be taken at specific time to maximise its effectiveness, the directions will be supplied with the medication when its dispensed by the GP or pharmacy. The way we record this at Hneshaws is using the MAR chart, each student has their own chart which lists all the medications they currently take including PRN’s , as well as detailed information regarding dosage and the times they should be taken, to ensure that all medication needs are met, when a student has there medication administered we must sign it immediately to ensure that a student doesn’t double dose or miss a dose.

Sections 4.3 – 4.5 are observations to be carried out by the assessor.

Unit 5

Section 5.1 is an observation carried out by the assessor.

Safely administer the medication in line with legislation and local policies in a way which minimises pain, discomfort or trauma to the individual.

The administering of medication is closely monitored, at Hneshaws you have to go through a medication training program that consists of a theory class were you are taught about medication, the law, different routes etc, you then have 3 observations before a final observation to see if you are able to administer medications, we are also subject to a 6 monthly competency test.
This level of training means that only medication trained staff have access to medications and know about the students and the medicines they are taking and also how they take them. To ascertain how they take them we find out from family members how they take the medicines at home and try where possible to make it as similar as possible here.

Local policies and procedures tell us that all medications should be recorded on a MAR chart, medications should be stored correctly and safely and according to the instructions, and that only trained staff have access to these medicines, this ensures the safety of the students and means that we as a care facility are working in accordance with all local law and policies and procedure.

Describe how to report any immediate problems with the administration.

All immediate problems should be reported and recorded appropriately, in the first instance you would ring the GP to seek their advice and follow what they say, you should then report this to your line manager, and then fill in the students personal comms and databridge so that all necessary people are aware of the issue and how to act accordingly.

Monitor the individual’s condition throughout, recognise any adverse effects and take the appropriate action without delay

When administering medication, you should be aware at all times, where possible you should ensure the person knows what they taking and how many there are, you should also make sure that in the case of tablets that they have been swallowed and not chewed or crushed. Making sure the person drinks all the fluid will ensure that the tablet gets into the body and not stuck in the throat causing them to choke.

If administering medications through a different route i.e. through a stoma, you should ensure the tube is locked and not leaking and watch the persons reactions if they start burping or making similar noises it could mean you are doing it too quickly and the body is trying to reject the medicine.

Creams and lotions, should be monitored for allergic reactions which can occur at any time.

Explain why it may be necessary to confirm that the individual actually takes the medication and does not pass the medication to others.

In order to confirm that the individual takes the medication that they claim to take, we have a MAR chart which lists all our students and all the medicines that they take, in order to insure that the medication is not passed on, we have an area where the students take the medication, and we have to insure the medicine has been taken properly.

Explain how to maintain the security of medication and related records throughout the process and return them to the correct place for storage.

When we administer medications, there is a routine to follow to keep medications secure and the students safe. All of the medicines are stored in a locked meds cabinet. To ensure the security of records we have a secure file that contains the MAR charts, all medicines must be signed when they have been dispensed to the individual. Once the medicines have been dispensed they must be returned to the cabinet on the students own shelf, so the medicines don’t get mixed up with other peoples.

If for any reason a medicine is found to be out of date, or has been incorrectly dispensed, the medicine must be disposed of accordingly, it must be placed in a sealed envelope and then you should fill in the returned medication book so the medicines can be returned to the pharmacy for disposal.