Administration Jobs » Litigation http://www.aepsi.org Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:20:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Medication Administration Records http://www.aepsi.org/medication-administration-records http://www.aepsi.org/medication-administration-records#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:04:05 +0000 admin http://www.aepsi.org/medication-administration-records

Medication administration records have been widely used in residential care for many years but not so regularly in domiciliary care until quite recently. It’s great to see that they are being used much more widely now in home care and I look forward to the day where they are used in every agency I visit or train.

Why? Because they are essential to good medicines management and to provide you with evidence of medicines support or administration. They are your back up should anything be challenged. They are your way of ensuring that you meet the responsibility that you have under the law of ensuring that the 5 checks are made:-

Right patient

Right medicine

Right dose

Right route

Right time

CSCI have published a guidance document that addresses medicines administration record sheets – what information should be recorded and how they should be used. However, in practice it would appear that very few organisations are aware of this guidance and/or how to interpret it and as a result I see a wide variety of different interpretations. My concern is that the vast majority of record sheets either do not contain the required information and/or they are not being completed appropriately by the agency staff. This may be that the agency staff have not received proper training on how to use the forms, it might be that forms need to be reviewed or it might be that the agency policy is out of date or in need of review by an expert. When any of these scenarios apply – it leaves the agency wide open to litigation should an error occur that is not documented properly.

So let’s clear up some myths shall we!

It is the responsibility of the agency to provide medication administration records for their care workers to use.

The form should contain:-

The name and address of the service user

Date started

Medication details including name, strength and dose of medication

Time given/prompted/observed

Signature of care worker

Code for Administration or prompting or observing

It’s worth pointing out here that the medication details must be given for each individual medicine. It is not sufficient to simply put “Contents of Nomad” or “Dosette box” . Whilst it is the responsibility of the pharmacy to ensure that the correct medication is dispensed – you are responsible for making your own checks – you cannot abdicate this responsibility and therefore you need to know that what is in the compliance aid is what is being given to the service user. Now you may not know which tablet or capsule is which – however you should know that the names on the box match the names on the chart (which have been checked against the prescription details) and that there are the correct number of tablets or capsules there to be given.

It might also be useful to have space for the name of the GP, any allergies, and comments.

For further advice and information about medicine Administration records or if you have any questions please contact tracey.dowe@momentumpeople.co.uk

By: Tracey Dowe

]]> http://www.aepsi.org/medication-administration-records/feed 0 At Will Employment http://www.aepsi.org/at-will-employment http://www.aepsi.org/at-will-employment#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:54:58 +0000 admin http://www.aepsi.org/at-will-employment

“At will” employment simply means that an employer may terminate an employee for any reason. In many states this is the legal relationship between employers and employees unless there is a contractual relationship between them that states to the contrary. It is difficult in the employer – employee legal relationship that states have different laws. But there is another issue, that of the balance with employer – employee relationships.

Most employers will initially prefer to have employees in an at will employment status. In these companies employee manuals will state that nothing in the paperwork of employment, including the employee manual will be deemed to constitute an employment contract defeating at will status.

It is difficult for a certain type of employee to negotiate an employment contract to defeat an employment at will status. If this employee without leverage is not protected by other legal provisions regarding notice, separation pay and insurance rights, employees will be greatly disadvantaged and treated unfairly. On the other hand, employers need to be able to terminate employees for business reasons (treating them fairly) without facing litigation on every termination.

With the current legal scenario, the best practical advice for an employee with leverage is to negotiate and execute a written employment agreement that provides the appropriate terms of employment, both as to its conduct and termination.

Employers should look carefully at each employment level to determine where an employment contract may help improve employee relationship. The default should be at will status for employees where it is available under applicable state law.

By: Rick Riebesell

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