Medication training
Course description
This medication training course provides health and social care workers with the knowledge required to support and administer medicines safely, accurately and in a person-centred way.
It covers the principles of safe medicines administration, different forms and routes of medication, the rights of administration, MAR and eMAR records, storage and disposal, PRN medicines, controlled drugs, adverse reactions, medication errors, consent and refusal, covert administration and the importance of following individual care plans and organisational procedures.
The course emphasises that medicines must only be administered by staff who are appropriately trained, assessed as competent and authorised within their workplace.
The content reflects current NICE medicines-management guidance and Care Quality Commission (CQC) guidance for adult social care services.
Assessment of knowledge and skills
Knowledge is assessed through verbal questioning, scenario discussions, slide-based knowledge checks and a written or multiple-choice assessment.
Practical understanding is assessed through trainer observation using simulated medication and documentation. Learners demonstrate how they would check a medicine, identify the correct person, interpret a MAR or eMAR record, follow administration instructions, record the outcome and respond appropriately when something is unclear or incorrect.
Successful completion of the training course demonstrates that the learner has achieved the course learning outcomes.
It does not, on its own, confirm workplace competence to administer medicines independently. CQC guidance expects medicines competency to include workplace assessment and observation, with ongoing review by the employer.
