Medication Awareness Training Course

The administration of medication is the act of giving medicine to a person.

As there are different routes medicine can be taken by the body – such as oral ingestion, intravenous injection and others, the method of administration can differ depending on the specific medication, the condition it is treating and the individual taking it.

Professional training should be given to anybody responsible for administering medication, as if it's done incorrectly, it can prove extremely dangerous. Our Medication Awareness course will train your staff in the correct knowledge and skills required.

Medication training is necessary as administering medication safely and responsibly also requires a more in-depth understanding of how medication works, what dosages are necessary, and the potential side effects that may result. Understanding the wider implications surrounding medication is important and valuable knowledge to have.

Care workers should also know how to store and dispense medication correctly, keep records up-to-date and understand the relevant legislation around the administration and disposal of medication.

The ‘5 rights’ of medication administration, also known as the ‘5 Rs’ of medication administration, are designed to minimise the risk of error in administrating medication and to protect people from any adverse reactions:

1. Right Person
2. Right Medicine
3. Right Dose
4. Right Time
5. Right Route

However, there is also the sixth right - the right to refuse. You should never force anyone to take any substance or medication if they don't want to. However, you should take note of their refusal and any reasons they give.

In most cases, a medical practitioner or registered nurse should administer medication in a care home if that care home is registered to provide nursing care. If it isn't, the law doesn't prevent health care assistants or assistant practitioners (both with or without nursing) from administering medicines in care homes if they have gone through the appropriate training and are competent. However, the care home manager and staff should keep this regularly under review.

All staff administering medicines must follow the care home's policies and procedures about managing medicines.

There are 6 common routes of medication administration and the chosen route is dependent on several factors, including the illness, illness severity, the type of medication, the needs of the patients and their condition. The 6 most common routes of medication administration are as follows:

1. Oral - swallowed through the mouth by either a tablet, liquid, capsule, lozenge or chewable tablet.
2. Rectal – may be chosen for reasons such as bypassing the digestive system or delivering medication locally.
3. Inhalation - inhaled through the airway in either the form of powder, mist or spray.
4. Nebulisation - this is a machine that allows the patient to inhale the drug as a very fine mist.
5. Transdermal - a patch is placed on the skin with the medicine that penetrates into the bloodstream.
6. Injection - where medicine is delivered with a needle into a vein, muscle, or under the skin for quick or controlled absorption.

Despite these being common routes of medication, there are many others such as sublingual, topical and buccal administration. In all cases, it is extremely important to understand the effect of any medication and how each route may affect absorption.