Medications to relieve the pain or symptoms of a variety of ailments are regularly distributed and dispensed to patients, via pharmacists, doctors, and nursing and care staff. This should always be undertaken safely and with a person-centred approach.
The safe and secure handling of medications is required across healthcare settings and is essential for ensuring patient safety. Guidance and best practice on this subject includes the transportation, dispensation, handling, disposal, and storage of medication and drugs..
Unused Medications:
Occasionally, unused medication, whether in care settings or in patient’s homes, may accumulate. This could be a result of advice to cease taking the medication, a change in medication or dosage, or even the death of the patient.
It is best practice from a safety point of view to ensure that any unused medications are dealt with and disposed of correctly. This ensures that people who have not been prescribed the drugs do not have access to them.
Unwanted or unused medications can be taken into any community pharmacy, where owners have an obligation to accept these items and plan for their safe disposal. These medications will then be collected from the pharmacy at regular intervals. This is arranged via regional NHS teams, who may also stipulate to pharmacies that they should divide unused medications into solids, sprays, and liquids.
Safe Handling of Medication
Any person who handles medication on a daily basis should possess the necessary skills on how to select, dispense, administer, and record medicines.
For existing and newly qualified health professionals, there are several options to either increase awareness or refresh knowledge on the safe handling of medications. For further information visit Tidal Training for an in-depth, specialist, training course aimed at healthcare workers and nursing staff.
Training will also incorporate the legislation and regulations applicable to the safe handling of medications, as well as accountability, responsibility, auditing procedures, and what to do in the event of an error. Specialist training providers can also incorporate an organisation’s own policies and procedures into their course content.