Ordering/receiving medication supplies

General requirements 

11.1    Staff who are responsible for ordering medication must follow the service’s ordering and supply procedures to ensure that sufficient supplies of medication are held to meet the person’s needs.  

11.2    Staff who receive medication from any source are responsible for:

• updating stock records as required by local procedures and updating the person’s plan and MAR if the person’s prescription has changed
• checking whether the medication is a controlled drug and if so staff must meet the requirements set out in section 15 controlled drugs

Medication received from families

11.3    Supplies of medications for people attending day centres or admitted for a short breaks are provided by the person receiving care, their family/carer or the person with parental responsibility for a child. People may arrange for a separate supply to be kept at the home or day centre if they wish to do so.  

11.4    Medication must be supplied in sufficient quantities for the period required and in the original: 

• containers supplied and labelled by the pharmacy. Labels must be legible and unaltered
• packaging as purchased for over the counter products

11.5    Staff will not accept any medication packaged by families, marked to be taken ‘as directed’ or in foil strips which have been removed from the packaging supplied and labelled by the pharmacy.

11.6    Staff will check medications on receipt to make sure that they have not passed their expiry date and that any over the counter products are suitable for use.  Staff will mark over the counter products with the person’s name so that it is clear that it is not for general use.

11.7    Staff will discuss any concerns with the person, their family/carer or a relevant health professional as appropriate. This includes when prescribed medication differs unexpectedly from supplies previously received for the person.