Steve Turner provokes discussion on medication management training

What is it about?

Key points ▪ Medicines management learning is most effective when all staff are involved ▪ There should be a clear link between learning, development and revision of effective policies and procedures ▪ A variety of methods are needed to deliver evidence-based effective medication management learning, and a plan for supporting and sustaining learning needs to be in place from the outset ▪ Encouraging, spreading and sustaining existing best practice should form part of the learning

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Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Why is it important?

To be most effective, learning around medication management is best approached in a holistic way, which involves staff at all levels. It often fails to hit the spot if it is delivered simply as another training session, which may be viewed as a way to give a ‘tick in a box’. All care staff can be involved in an ongoing review of appropriateness and effectiveness of administration of medication, in order to provide a truly personalised service. This is achieved by monitoring and reporting effects (or lack of effect) of medication and spotting potential interactions or side effects. Staff who spend most of their time with residents are in an ideal position to spot changes which may be related to medication. Effective learning needs to be person-centred and embedded in the culture of the organisation. It is best delivered by a variety of means linked to regular competency assessments, experiential learning and audit that actively informs the continued development of local policies and procedures.

Perspectives