by Nurse Jamie Daniel
May is Medication month! Over the last couple of weeks, Nurse Jamie is has provided us with some info, some stories, and some practical tips on medication and assisting with medications for our clients.
Click here for the first post, second post, and third post of this month! Read on for our final post: Paper Trail | Medication Month
Do you ever wonder why we have you fill out Medical Appointment Forms?
Well, have you ever played Telephone? It’s when one person whispers into another’s ear and then that person whispers into the next and so on. What happens when you are the last person? What you hear is rarely the same as what the first person said! Well, what if as each person whispered a piece of paper was passed along with the written sentence? This would ensure each person got a clear message. Medical information passes through many people and we want to make sure it is right! Therefore, each time you interact with a medical appointment or medication we need a detailed, written account to help us stay accurate.
There’s a new med or a change. What do I do?
- Order: Get a copy of the prescription.
- Communication: Speak with your CF right away about the medication change. Turn in paperwork within 24 hours to communicate with the office, but an emailed photo may also be appropriate. Always delete it off your phone.
- Pick Up/Pharmacy: Check you have the correct medication with the 6 rights of the order. Pharmacies can make mistakes too.
- Documentation: Your supervisor will coordinate with you about adding a new medication to a blank MTR/QS Med.
- Pillbox: Your supervisor will coordinate with you on new medication being added to the pillbox.
- Working Knowledge: Read the information about the new medication. Watch your client for new, positive effects or potential side effects and notify your CF.
Check the 6 Rights at each step! This is important with new, discontinued, or changed medications. Otherwise it ends up like a bad game of telephone and the client could suffer. Thank you for keeping your client safe!