Medication Management in Residential Aged Care
Links & resources
Deliver medicines safely and accurately to resident (5Rs)- APAC guidelines
- See Appendix F (page 45) – Guidelines and standard operating procedures for altering medication dose forms. This document contains some information about forms that are suitable for crushing and suitable crushing techniques. There is also some useful information about the effects of crushing individual medicines – this might be useful for training of other care staff. Draft operating procedures are included.
- Resource kit
- This is a Drugs and Poisons Controls in Victoria resource kit to enable implementation of the APAC guidelines for medication management in RACFs containing recommendations for modification of oral formulations. This list may not be up to date, refer also to the latest edition of the Australian Medicines Handbook.
Assess self administration capacity and ability in residents- APAC guidelines
- See Appendix E (page 41) – Example of assessment of a resident's ability to self administer. This document is a check list that could be used to assess ability to self administer. The completed checklist could be kept with a resident's medical record.
- Resource kit
- This is a Drugs and Poisons Controls in Victoria resource kit to enable implementation of the APAC guidelines for medication management in RACFs containing recommendations for modification of oral formulations. This list may not be up to date, refer also to the latest edition of the Australian Medicines Handbook.
Look to evidence based resources when building knowledge about medicines- Australian Medicines Handbook - Aged Care Companion
- The Australian Medicines Handbook and the Aged Care Companion Guide provide evidence based information about medicines, includes information about form, dosing, cost, potential side effects and adverse reactions. AMH is available both in hard copy (~$145) and electronically (~$150). The Aged Care Companion is only available in hard copy (~$50).
- Therapeutic Guidelines
- Therapeutic Guidelines provides clear, concise, independent information about patient management. TG is available both in hard copy (13 volumes ~$364) and electronically (~$300). Volumes are arranged by body system, single volumes can be purchased (~$40).
- NPS: Better choices, Better health
- NPS: Better choices, Better health is an independent organisation providing information about medicines to consumers, health professionals and others. NPS promotes Quality Use of Medicines. Consumer Medicines Information sheets are available from the NPS web site.
