Medicines Management Policy - Dudley Primary Care Trust

8. Responsibilities of the person administering the medication
8.1 The healthcare professional must be aware of the action of the prescribed item,
the usual dosage, the common side effects, interactions and how these relate
to the treatment of the individual patient/client overall. They should be familiar
with sources of information about medication such as the BNF.
8.2 The healthcare professional must make every reasonable effort to maintain and
develop knowledge of the common medications used in his/her area of practice.
This knowledge should include awareness of:
i. The signs of adverse reactions (ADR) to medication and the actions to
be taken should this occur.
ii Reactions that may occur when different medicines are combined.
iii Contra indications
iv How to report a suspected ADR i.e. use of the yellow card system.
8.3 Where a healthcare professional has concerns about the clarity of the
prescriber’s instruction or the appropriateness of a drug treatment then it should
be raised with the prescriber or a pharmacist.
8.4 Concerns about defective products should be raised with the supplying
pharmacy as soon as possible. The pharmacy should advise on the action
required concerning the medicine, and the necessity of obtaining an alternative
supply. The product must be quarantined immediately. The incident must be
logged on Sentinel which will be passed to the prescribing team. The person
discovering the defect must inform the prescriber if the patient has received the
product.
8.5 The healthcare professional is responsible for teaching
• The patient/client about medication in a manner commensurate with the
individual’s ability to comprehend. This teaching should include the names
and purpose of the medication, the dose and timing and the common
potential side effects.
• Student nurses about issues related to the prescribing and administration of
medicines as outlined above.
8.6 Where supervising a student health professional, the qualified professional
must clearly countersign the signature of the student.
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