Courses
Foundation Course in Medicines Administration | In-Person | Full-day
Our full day in-person Foundation course, suitable for:
- Care homes
- Children’s services
- Mixed settings.
- This course is only available for groups
- For individuals - see our online course instead
- Click "find courses" button for the online version
- A face to face in person course
- Run privately just for your team
- Run at a venue of your choice
- £895 + VAT per workshop (max 16)
Course overview
Course last audited November 2024
This full-day in-person Foundation Course in Medicines Administration covers the same content as the half-day course with an additional afternoon practical session teaching: oral liquids, topicals, inhalers and eye drops.
It teaches how to safely prepare, select, administer and record tablets and capsules. The course teaches a step-by-step process with a comprehensive competence checklist designed using years of research data into why medication errors occur. The process ensures medicines are given in a safe and systematic way, reducing the risk of errors.
This course has been shown to reduce errors by 36% in a study by Hampshire County Council. Learners also receive access to an online module with full handouts, a suite of downloadable medication forms, and any videos used on the course. This way they can always refresh their knowledge and skills.
We will tailor the workshop to paper or electronic medicines administration charts and include a module on Monitored Dosage System (MDS) blister packs if needed.
Aimed at
Both new and experienced care support workers and nurses working in:
- Care homes
- Childrens’ services
- Mixed settings
Course content
morning:
- Medication errors: why we need to work systematically
- An overview of how to give medicines systematically
- Simulated medicines round no. 1 (pre-learning competence assessment)
- Infection control, gloves, hand hygiene
- Prepare equipment and a drink
- Check medicines records: MAR, medicines care plans, PRN protocols, body maps etc.
- ‘Start with the chart’: checks needed on the MAR (video demonstration, practical activity)
- Breakdown of a pharmacy label
- Expiry and once opened dates
- The meds cross check – 7 rights ‘touch the words’
- Simulated medicines rounds 2 and 3 (competence assessment)
- Cautionary and advisory labels
- Dispense the medicine: ‘pop and dot’
- Count your doses vs MAR
- Administer in a person centred way
- Recording on an MAR
afternoon:
- Administering oral liquids: spoons, cups or syringes?
- Measuring with oral syringes: practical activity with competence check
- Administering with an oral syringe (in a person centred way)
- Administering topical medicines to the skin (medicated and non-medicated creams, ointments and gels): practical activity
- Administering inhalers: MDI + spacers (practical activity)
- Care of MDI inhalers and spacers
- Two techniques for administering eye drops (practical activity)
Online workbook module
All learners receive access to a comprehensive online module which teaches the theory taught on the course, including:
- the videos used on the course
- a suite of downloadable forms and other resources.
Also included are sections on:
- Checking and administering from MDS blister packs
- Administering oral liquids
- Applying topical medicines to the skin
- Administering inhalers
- Administering eye drops
Accreditation
This course is double accredited, by both CPD Assessed and the Royal College of Nursing (when taken by nurses). RCN Accreditation applies only to the educational content and not to any product. RCN cannot confirm competence of any practitioner.
Certification
Mapping
- The Care Certificate
- CQC Quality Statements: Safe QS 1, 7 and 8
- NICE – Management of Medicines in Care Homes, March 2014
- NICE – Management of Medicines in Community Settings, March 2017
- Health and Social Care Act (Regulated Activities) 2014.
Pricing
£895 + VAT per workshop (max 16) + trainer expenses (click here for details).