The Medication Administration course provides a comprehensive overview of the essential practices required to safely handle, administer, and manage medications in social care and healthcare settings. The course begins with an introduction to the safe handling of medicines, emphasizing the importance of hygiene, safety protocols, and risk mitigation when managing medications. Learners will explore the key principles of medicine risk assessment, learning how to identify potential risks and apply strategies to minimize harm to patients or clients.

A significant portion of the course is dedicated to handling medicines in social care settings, where students will learn the specific guidelines and procedures for administering medications in residential homes, assisted living facilities, and other care environments. Additionally, the course addresses the ethical and legal aspects of medication administration, including the necessity of obtaining informed consent to treatment and understanding the requirements for specific services that may involve the administration of medications.

The course emphasizes the “6 Rights” of medication administration, ensuring learners understand how to safely administer the right medication, to the right person, at the right time, through the right route, in the right dose, and with the right documentation. The covert administration of medicine is also discussed, which focuses on the delicate balance of patient rights and care in situations where direct consent cannot be obtained.

Proper documentation and recording procedures are covered in detail, teaching learners how to maintain accurate, up-to-date records that meet regulatory and legal standards. The course also provides guidelines for the storage of medicines, emphasizing the need to keep them safe, secure, and at the correct temperature. Additionally, learners will be taught how to appropriately transfer and dispose of medications to avoid misuse or contamination. The final part of the course explores drug formulations and the various ways medications can be administered, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the different forms and methods of taking medicines.