Covering all aspects of medication management
Aged care providers require a system that covers all aspects of medication management, such as monitoring a care recipient after administering a medication.
Dr Susan Hunt, senior nurse advisor in ageing and aged care for the Department of Social Services, wrote to residential aged care providers in January about the underlying requirements approved providers of Commonwealth subsidised residential aged care services are required to meet.
In her letter, Dr Hunt noted that medication management involves more than the administration of a medicine. It also includes, for example, the monitoring of a care recipient after administration of a medication.
It can also involve a decision about administering a medication versus withholding a medication while obtaining further medical advice. Providers need to be able to ensure that they have a system that covers all aspects of medication management.
There are resources available to help aged care providers with medication management, particularly the National Residential Medication Chart (NRMC).
The NRMC is a medication chart specifically developed for the residential aged care sector.
It has been designed to improve medication safety for residents and to minimise the administrative burden on aged care staff when ordering, administering and supplying medicines.
During 2013-14, the NRMC was tested and evaluated in more than 20 residential aged care services by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Residential aged care services are not required to use the NRMC, however, using the resource can reportedly help residential aged care services to:
- meet medication management standards as part of aged care accreditation processes;
- achieve a consistent approach to medicine prescribing, administration and supply; and
- reduce the number of separate paper forms to be purchased, and reduces medication administration costs.
Find out more information about the National Residential Medication Chart (NRMC).
