ABIS RESOURCES

ASSIGNMENT: CYPOP 46. Support use of medication in social care

settings

YOUR NAME: …………………RUBINA KHATUN

YOUR PLACE OF WORK:……………………Discovery Home

DATE STARTED:……………………………20/11/2015

DATE COMPLETED:………………………….28/11/2015

Declaration of Authenticity:

I declare that this is my own work and that I have not presented the work of
any other person as my own.

Signed: RUBINA KHATUN Date: 28/11/2015

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1. Identify legislation that governs the use of medication in

social care settings (AC 1.1)
 Below I have listed the key legislation that governs the use of medication in social care
settings

 The Medication Act 1968

 Misuse of Drug Act 1971
 Health and Safety At Work 1974
 Data Protection Act 1998
 Management of Health And Safety At Work Regulation 1999
 Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005
 Mental Capacity Act 2005
 Health And Social Care Act 2008

2 Outline the legal classification system for medication

(AC1.2)
The classification of medicines are all related to the medication act 1968, while working
with medication it is good to have an understanding and working knowledge of the
common types of medication. The specifications are;

 General Sales List (GSL) this medication can be purchased from any shops.

 Pharmacy Medicines (P) these medicines may only be purchased from a

pharmacy.

 Prescription Only Medication (POM) these medicines can only be obtained

with a prescription

 Over The Counter Medication (OTC) these medication can only be purchased
over the counter

 Controlled Drugs (CD) are prescription only medicines, defined as ’potentially

addictive’ and therefore are subject to additional legal requirements under the
Misuse of Drugs Act

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3. Explain how and why policies and procedures or agreed

ways of working must reflect and incorporate legislative
requirements (1.3)
The policies and procedures are put in place to make sure that legislation is being
followed so that all people in the setting, staff and the people who need care are being
cared for are safe, all needs are being met, general practice and diversity is being
followed out and that the setting is staying within the law.
They must reflect on legislation so that the policies and procedures are correct and are
the correct way of doing things. For example if a health and safety procedure was put in
place and was not in line with legislation then this could cause the setting to get in
trouble with the law and could cause harm to the person who was in need of health and
safety requirements could become harmed.

4. Identify common types of medication (2.1)

Below I have listed types of medication

 Antibiotic

 Analgesics

 Anti-hypertensive

 Antacids

 Anti-histamine

 Anti-inflammatory

 Diuretics

 Doxazosin

 Laxative

 Aspirin

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5. List conditions for which each type of medication may be

prescribed (AC 2.2)

 Type 2 diabetics: i.e. Metformin Hydrochloride Tablets is one of a group of

medicines called oral hypoglycemic, theses work to reduce the level of sugar in
the blood
 Anti-hypertensive: i.e. Lisonopril used for lowering blood pressure

 Analgesics: i.e. Codeine, used for pain relief, such as head-aches

 Antibiotics: i.e. Amoxicillin, a penicillin based antibiotic which fights bacteria in

your body

 Gastro-resistant: i.e. Omeprazole capsules- these belong to the group of

medicines called proton pump inhibitors, it works by reducing the amount of acid
that your stomach produces

6. Describe changes to an individual’s physical or mental

well-being that may indicate an adverse reaction to a
medication (2.3)
Unexpected adverse reactions can potentially happen from any drug that an individual is
taking. Adverse Reactions can take various forms, so it is important to be alert for
anything unusual. Common adverse reactions may include:

 Breathing difficulties

 Swelling of face or mouth

 Nausea

 Vomiting

 Sudden rashes or blotches

 Confusion

 Hallucinations or delusions

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When individuals experience adverse reactions to medicines, my workplace policy is to

inform the Manager immediately and explain in detail. Than the shift leaders have to
inform the GP immediately and take advice from the GP. Call emergency if necessary.
And also stop administering the medicine until checked by GP. We must continue, to
observe the individual and monitor their vitals, speaking to them and looking at any
changes, so as to ensure that the individual is not deteriorating. We must record the
incident and also does an incident report.

7. Describe the roles and responsibilities of those involved

in prescribing, dispensing and supporting use of medication
(3.1)
Responsibilities of the person prescribing medicine:

Usually, someone’s General Practitioner will prescribe medicines, but they can
sometimes be prescribed by others such as a hospital consultant, dentist, midwife or
nurse prescriber. The responsibilities of the person prescribing are to:

 Prescribe in the best interests, and appropriately for the patient

 Be familiar with the patient’s history including previous, adverse reactions medical
history, other current medicines and any non-prescription medicines
 Share information with the patient and clarify any concerns. Ensure that the
patient has enough information to make an informed choice about agreeing to
the use of the medicine
 Be satisfied that the patient understands how to take the medicine and is able to
take it as prescribed
 Prescribe the appropriate dosage for the patient
 Make arrangements for follow up

Dispensing medicines is the overall responsibility of a qualified, registered pharmacist.

They may work in a community pharmacy or in a hospital. There are other pharmacy
staffs that also have roles in relation to the safe dispensing of medicines. A pharmacist
is responsible for:

 Overall checking of a prescription to make sure that it is legal and written by a

person qualified to do so
 Clinical scrutiny of a prescription to identify any errors
 Dispensing the right quantity of the correct medicine
 Ensuring that medicines are correctly labelled with the person’s name, the name
of the medicine and the dosage
 Providing advice and treatment for minor illnesses, injuries and health concerns
 Providing a repeat prescription service in co-operation with GP surgeries

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The day to day term used for assisting and supporting people with their medicines after
they have been prescribed and dispensed is ‘administration of medicines’.
Depending on where people live, they may have professional support with their
medicines from a nurse, a registered manager of a residential home, a residential
support worker or a domiciliary support worker. People may also have support from
familiar carers, who do not have professional responsibilities but will need advice and
information about handling medicines.
All care workers must have had training before they can administer medicines. After
training they can:

 Support people to take tablets, capsules or oral mixtures

 Apply creams and ointments
 Insert ear, nose and eye drops
 Support inhaled medicines
 Additional specialist training is needed before care workers can
undertake:
 Rectal administration – e.g. suppositories
 Injections – e.g. insulin
 PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastronomy) feeding
 Giving oxygen

Medicines must be administered as prescribed by GP, and always check the person’s
name, dosage, expiry and the method before administering the medicine

8. Explain where responsibilities lie in relation to use of ‘over

the counter remedies and supplements (3.2)

Responsibilities for over the counter remedies and supplements

Pharmacy medicines must be sold under the overall supervision of a qualified

pharmacist. They cannot be sold in general stores or anywhere without a pharmacist.
The person, usually a Medicines Counter Assistant or Pharmacy assistant, who sells the
medicines, has a responsibility to ask questions of the person before selling it. These
questions are designed to make sure that the medicine is suitable for the person and for
the medical condition they want it for.
The questions vary depending on what the customer asks for.

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 If the customer asks for a specific product they have to ask what are known as
WHAM questions
 Who is it for?
 How long have you had the symptoms?
 Are you allergic to any medicines?
 Are you taking any Medicines?
 Who is it for?
 What are the symptoms?
 Have you taken any action about your symptoms?
 Are you taking any other Medicines?

In asking the questions, the pharmacist will have the information to stop a sale if they
consider that the product is unsuitable or is likely to cause a reaction with anything else
the person may be taking.

9. Describe the routes by which medication can be

administered (4.1)

Medication can be administered through following routes:

 Inhalation - Inhalers and nebulisers are used for individuals who have respiratory
conditions as these deliver the medication directly to the lungs.

 Oral - This is medication that is taken via the mouth. This can be in the form of
tablets and capsules. If an individual finds it difficult to swallow tablets oral
medication is also available in liquids, suspensions and syrups. Sublingual
medications are for example when tablets are placed under the tongue to
dissolve quickly.

 Instillation- Instillation medications come in the form of drops or ointments and

can be instilled via the eyes, nose or ears. Drops can be used for ear or eye
infections. Nose sprays are used for treating for example hay fever

 Intra-muscular - Intramuscular medication is injected directly into the large

muscles in the body, i.e. the legs or bottom. This route can only be done by a
doctor or trained nurse.

 Tropical - Topical medications come in the form of creams and gels and are
applied directly to the skin surface usually to treat skin conditions.

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 Transdermal - Transdermal medications come in the form of patches that are

applied to the skin normally to the chest or upper arm. They work by allowing the
medication to be released slowly and then absorbed. For example, Hormone
Replacement Therapy (HRT) patches and nicotine patches.

 Subcutaneous - Subcutaneous medications are injected just beneath the skin i.e.
insulin is administered in this way. Only after training can these medications be
administered.

 Intravenous - Intravenous medication enters directly into the veins and absorbed
quickly. This route can only be done by a doctor or trained nurse.

 Virginal / Rectal medications are absorbed very quickly. Suppositories are

available and are given into the rectum. Peccaries are given into the vagina. Only
after training can these medications be administered Rectal.

10. Describe different forms in which medication may be

presented (4.2)
Medicines come in a range of different forms. Sometimes, there is only one formulation,
and some medicines come in several different forms. You may come across:

 Tablets, capsules

 Liquids

 Creams, ointment and gels

 Patches (transdermal)

 Implants

 Injections

 Peccaries, suppositories

 Inhalers

 Drops and sprays

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Tablets and capsules can also come in several different formulations. This is done to
make the medicine most effective, either because of where in the body it is absorbed
or over what period of time it is absorbed, to improve the taste or to make it soluble.

11. Describe materials and equipment that can assist in

administering medication (4.3)

There are many material and equipment’s that we can use for administering
medication, such as : medicine trolley; medicine pots; spoons; syringes; Nebulisers;
containers; wipes; drinking glasses; water jug; disposal bag; medication administration
record sheets/charts. Gloves must be worn and hands washed before and after
administering medication by all routes. One of the commonest pieces of equipment for
administering medicines is the monitored dosage system (MDS). Percutaneous
endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and nasal-gastric (NG) tubes users also come to our
setting. Therefor they require pumps and charger for the pumps for their feeding and
medicine needs.
This operation only can be undertaken by trained and experienced staffs. Other
commonly used pieces of equipment are aids such as inhalers, eye and ear droppers,
aerosols and syringes for injecting medicines.

12. Explain the importance of the following principles in the

use of medication
 Consent

 self-medication or active participation

 dignity and privacy

 confidentiality

Consent to Medicine:

Medicine cannot be given to someone without their consent. Specific steps may be
taken to administer with the consent of the person in some circumstances. Prescribed
medicines must be offered to the person for whom they have been provided, but they
have every right to refuse to take it. In my setting we always take parental consent for
administering medication and updating medical information.

Self-medication active participation

The basic statement when administering medicines should be that everyone will self-
medicate unless there is reason not to. Most people will want to maintain control of
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their medicines and how and when they take them, but there will be others who will
want support with some or all of their medicine management. It is most likely to be a
‘mix and match’ approach rather than one or the other for many people. They may
wish to maintain control, but may need help with the actual process of administering
the medicine, or some people may like a reminder so they can feel secure that they
will not forget.

Dignity and privacy:

Maintaining people’s dignity is very important. We have to make sure that they have
choice and control. Many people may prefer to have their medicines in their own room
rather than in a communal lounge. This very important that we always maintain
peoples dignity while administering medicine.

Confidentiality:

People’s medicines are as personal and confidential as any other information about
them. Their medical history and prescribed medicines records must be kept securely
and not left anywhere they can be seen by people who have no need to see them. In
the same way, discussions about medicines should be held in private and not in a
public room. It is not acceptable to discuss a person’s medicines with anyone without
the person’s consent.

13. Explain how risk assessment can be used to promote an

individual’s independence in managing medication (6.2)
Using risk assessment to promote independence:

Risk assessments will not remove risks, but they will identify ways to reduce the risks
as much as possible. Exercising a duty of care, a care setting must undertake a risk
assessment if someone wants to self-medicate. Good risk assessments do not stop
people from doing things; they should enable people to do more because safeguards
are put in place to support people in doing what they want. The questions to be asked
of someone in a risk assessment are likely to be around how much information they
have about what is involved, do they know how to store medicines and how to keep
medicine in the cupboards. If the risk assessment starts from the premise that
everyone should be able to self-medicate and seeks to find ways to make it happen
rather than to stop it, then it is more likely that the person will be able to maintain a
level of control over their life through managing their own medicines. A successful risk
assessment always gives confidence to both service user and the carer.

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14. Describe how ethical issues that may arise over the use
of medication can be addressed (6.3)

Medicines can give rise to ethical issues for a range of reasons. A difficult issue arises
when someone decides they no longer wish to continue with treatment, even though
this may mean that they will die or their quality of life will become very poor. In this
situation, we can only make sure that they have all possible information and have had
plenty of opportunity to discuss their decision with health professionals, family and
friends. Unless there are issues of capacity, the decision is theirs to make.
Alternatively, there can be situations where families may request that medication is
stopped because they feel that someone’s quality of life has deteriorated and they
should not go on.. Other issues can arise over matters of personal or religious
convictions. Vegans, vegetarians and some people’s religious beliefs mean that they
are not willing to take capsules that are made from gelatine which is an animal based
product. Often this can be resolved by a discussion with the doctor and prescribing
the same medicines in a different formulation. There can be religious and cultural
issues around the administration of medicines during fasting. All sorts of issues can
arise with medicines that need to be taken with food or at times when someone is
fasting and cannot take the tablets. This can often be resolved as there are
exemptions from the requirements of fasting for people who are ill. It may also be
possible to discuss with the doctor the possibility of adjusting the times of the
administration.

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