The primary care pharmacy team have prepared the following training materials for Care Home staff to access, in order to help with medicines management training in Care Homes.
The following three types of training material have been provided:
- Baseline Training
- Refresher Training
- Bespoke Training
Baseline Training
This training material includes a narrated presentation and an accompanying workbook. The training covers:
- an introduction to medicines
- how to administer different forms of medication and how to record this.
- how to support people taking medication, including side effects to medication and administering medication covertly.
- medication in older people and compliance aids.
This material was originally developed for use within the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) care homes but has now been adapted for all care homes across Lothian.
The narrated presentation and completion of the accompanying workbook should take 3 to 4 hours to complete. The accompanying workbook must be completed during the presentation. Listeners will be asked to pause the presentation while completing the relevant workbook activities, which are designed to consolidate learning.
Please be aware that at the time of producing the material, CEC care homes are using paper MAR charts, which will be evident during the presentation.
Access to the narrated presentation can be found here
Accompanying workbook to be completed along with the narrated presentation
Answer sheet for activities in the workbook
Please ensure that the evaluation questions at the end of each session are completed to identify any gaps in knowledge.
Refresher Training
The following shorter narrated presentation is aimed at CEC care homes but can be useful for other care homes too. It focuses on administering of medicines and record keeping and is meant for staff needing to refresh their knowledge. It will mention specific CEC policy and procedures. The length of the presentation is around 1 hour and there are no activities to be completed alongside.
The email address at the end of the presentation is primarily meant for CEC care homes but can be used for feedback.
Bespoke Training
If any additional information or training is required, such as teaching on medicines and falls /polypharmacy/sick day rules please contact the primary care pharmacy team using the generic inbox: PC.prescribing@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Some Community pharmacies who supply care homes will provide their own training. Access to this training needs to be discussed with the pharmacy supplying your care home.
Useful links
Managing Multiple Medicines This combined mobile app and website aims to support healthcare professionals, patients and carers to make shared decisions and medicines based on the Scottish Government’s Polypharmacy Guidance Realistic Prescribing (2018, 3rd edition)
Guidance about medication, personal plans, review, monitoring and record keeping in residential care services:
Covert medication guidance and pathway
Guidance for care of people prescribed clozapine in
care homes
Medicine sick day rules
RPS Professional Guidance on the Administration of medicines in Health Care Settings
Further information
For information on information relating to Care Homes and pharmacy services and referral processes please see the following webpages.
Pharmacy: Service and information
Pharmacy: Referral Pathway
