Role and Responsibility of the Nurse in Medicine Management
Medicine management can be defined as ‘the clinical, cost-effective and safe use of medicines to ensure patients get the maximum benefit they need, while at the at the same time minimising potential harm.’ (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) 2004).
This essay will analyse the role and responsibility of the nurse in medicine management. It will then examine the complexities which arise when applying this clinical skill in the context of learning disability nursing in a medium secure forensic environment, before finally considering implications and recommendations for practice.
It has been argued that medication administration is one of the most time consuming nursing duties, accounting for 40% of a nurse’s workload. (Armitage & Knapman 2003). Safe practice in the management and administration of medication is an essential part of the role of the nurse (NMC 2008). Although drug administration is a multidisciplinary task, the nurse has the final responsibility of checking the medication before it is administered to the patient (Davey et al 2008). Managing and administering medication is the highest risk of nursing duties (Anderson & Webster 2001), with medication error the most frequent cause of illness and preventable death in hospitals (Adams & Koch, 2010). Medication error can be defined as failure in the drug treatment process that leads to or has the potential to lead to harm to the patient (Aronson 2009). It has been estimated that 38% of medication errors are serious or fatal, and 42% of those are preventable (Gurwitz et al 2003).
Lack of competence and safety in the delivery of medicine management can also result in a financial burden to the NHS. The National Patient Safety Agency (2007) estimated that harm by medicines which could have been prevented could cost over £750 million each year.
Medicine management involves more than the administration of drugs to the patient (White 2004). The NMC (2008)
This essay will analyse the role and responsibility of the nurse in medicine management. It will then examine the complexities which arise when applying this clinical skill in the context of learning disability nursing in a medium secure forensic environment, before finally considering implications and recommendations for practice.
It has been argued that medication administration is one of the most time consuming nursing duties, accounting for 40% of a nurse’s workload. (Armitage & Knapman 2003). Safe practice in the management and administration of medication is an essential part of the role of the nurse (NMC 2008). Although drug administration is a multidisciplinary task, the nurse has the final responsibility of checking the medication before it is administered to the patient (Davey et al 2008). Managing and administering medication is the highest risk of nursing duties (Anderson & Webster 2001), with medication error the most frequent cause of illness and preventable death in hospitals (Adams & Koch, 2010). Medication error can be defined as failure in the drug treatment process that leads to or has the potential to lead to harm to the patient (Aronson 2009). It has been estimated that 38% of medication errors are serious or fatal, and 42% of those are preventable (Gurwitz et al 2003).
Lack of competence and safety in the delivery of medicine management can also result in a financial burden to the NHS. The National Patient Safety Agency (2007) estimated that harm by medicines which could have been prevented could cost over £750 million each year.
Medicine management involves more than the administration of drugs to the patient (White 2004). The NMC (2008)