Care Homes

Welcome to the improving medicines management in care homes page.

This webpage is intended for care home staff (with and without nursing) and health care professions. Members of the public are free to use this site, but if you have a particular enquiry about the use of medicines, please contact your community pharmacist or general practitioner.

Please use the search below to search for documents in this section.

Good Practice Guidance

Following the publication of the Care Home Use of Medicines Study (CHUMS) good practice guidance has been produced locally for care homes on medicines management process and clinical topics.

Good Practice Guidance - Clinical

This section provides good practice guidance for care home staff on clinical topics and on specific medicines.

• Guidelines for Appropriate Prescribing of Homely and Household Remedies for Service Users resident in either Care Homes or Care Homes with Nursing
• Good Practice Guidance 1: administration and recording of nutritional supplements in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 2: Use of insulin in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 3: Use of warfarin in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 4: Use of liquid medicines in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 5: Use of fentanyl patches in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 6: Administration and recording of creams and ointments in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 7: Wound management and online non prescription ordering system (ONPOS) in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 8: Stoma appliances in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 9: Taking medicines on an empty stomach or with or after food in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 10: Blood glucose testing in residents with type 2 diabetes in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance 11: Treatment of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) including the use of anti-psychotics. Guidance for care homes.
  

 

Good Practice Guidance - Medicines Management Processes & Procedures

This section provides good practice guidance for care home staff on medicines management processes within care homes.

• Best Practice Guidance for Administering (Assistance & Prompting) Medicines in Care Homes

• Care Homes Admission Alert Form - A template for use by care homes when a resident is admitted to hospital. An alternative ‘word’ version of this document is available if required from the Medicines Management team administrator at patricia.hawkins@oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk or on 01865 336868.

• Good Practice Guidance A: Development of medicines policies in Care Homes See also Audit Template
• Good Practice Guidance B: Administration of medicines in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance C: Safe management of controlled drugs in Care Homes
  
• Good Practice Guidance D: Medicine administration records (MAR) in Care Homes
  
• Good Practice Guidance E: Monitored Dosage Systems (MDS) in Care Homes
  
• Good Practice Guidance F: Medication prescribed to be taken when required in Care Homes
  
• Good Practice Guidance G: Self medication in Care Homes
  
• Good Practice Guidance H: Handling of medication errors, incidents and near misses in Care Homes
  
• Good Practice Guidance I: Central Alerting System (CAS) alerts in Care Homes
  
• Good Practice Guidance J: Disguising medicines in food or drink in Care Homes (covert administration)
  
• Good Practice Guidance K: Non-prescribed medication in Care Homes
  
• Good Practice Guidance L: Secondary dispensing in Care Homes
  
• Good Practice Guidance M: Reducing medicines waste in Care Homes
• Good Practice Guidance N: Admission of residents from Care Homes to Hospital
• Good Practice Guidance O: Discharge of residents from Hospital to Care Homes
  

 

Medicine Matters Newsletter

Medicine Matters is a quarterly newsletter for care home staff produced by the Medicines Management Team within NHS Oxfordshire. Please note that, unless otherwise stated, the views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Oxfordshire or the wider NHS.

2012

• Issue 12. April 2012 - New guidance for the management of urinary tract infections in primary care.
• Issue 11: January 2012 - Treatment of the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) including the use of anti-psychotics. Guidance for care homes.

2011

• Issue 10: October 2011 - Launch of care homes webpage, feedback from recent inspections, including lancet devices for blood monitoring in your homes and a waste medicines survey.
• Issue 9: July 2011 - Local Guidance, Learning from Incidents, Community Pharmacist Advice Service, When required medicines, reducing waste and Access to NHS Dentists
• Issue 8: April 2011 - Reducing Waste Medicines; Top Tips on using Stoma Appliances; Admission and Discharge Form; Community Pharmacy Local Enhanced Scheme; Infection Prevention and Control Study Day
• Issue 7: January 2011 - New Oxfordshire NHS Admission and Discharge Guidance; Project evaluating the transfer of patients from care homes to hospitals; NPSA Alerts and CAS (Central Alerting System); The Safer Administration of Insulin NPSA Alert; Learning from Incidents

 

2010

• Issue 6: October 2010 - National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA); NPSA Alerts; Warfarin
• Issue 5: July 2010 - Monitored Dosage Systems (MDS); Complan Shake; Homely Remedies; Online Non Prescription Ordering System (ONPOS)
• Issue 4: April 2010 - Hints & tips for completing Medication Administration Records (MAR) Sheets accurately; Online Non Prescription Ordering System (ONPOS); Central Alerting System (CAS) reminder; Tuberculosis - a clinical update; The prevention and control of infection; Study day feedback
• Issue 3: January 2010 - Care homes use of medicines study - a summary; Nutrition in care homes; Community pharmacist advice visits; MHRA update; Study Day
  
  

2009

• Issue 2: October 2009 - Tissue Viability Service; Community Pharmacist Advice to Care Homes; Homely Remedies; Clostridium difficile
• Issue 1: July 2009 - Wasted Medicines - facts and figures, Making the most of your community pharmacist, News in Brief

 

 

Care Home Use of Medicines Study (CHUMS)

At the end of 2009, "The Care Homes Use of Medicines Study: prevalence, causes and potential harm of medication errors in care homes for older people" (CHUMS) was published. CHUMS was funded by the Department of Health and revealed a high prevalence of errors in medication received by older residents of care homes.

The study examined errors in prescribing, dispensing, administration and monitoring of medications. The main findings of the study were as follows:

• residents (mean age 85 years) were taking an average of 8 medicines each;
• on any one day 7 out of 10 patients experienced at least one medication error;
• whilst the mean score for potential harm was relatively low, the results did indicate opportunity for more serious harm.
  
  
• The full report and a research paper, which emanates from the work, are available
• The final report from the Oxfordshire CHUMS working group is available here.
  

Other useful links

• Care Quality Commission
• Oxfordshire County Council
  

Can't find what you are looking for?

• Contact us