5 Benefits of In-House Medication Audits

Care homes and hospitals are very crucial and important to any community. They are instrumental in saving lives of many. Thus it’s important that in-house medication audits should be done periodically for them using any of the medication audit tools for care homes. Some of the benefits of doing this are -

Ensuring compliance with outcomes

The Health and Social Care Act 2008 requires any care home to assess their service against the Essential Standards of quality and safety. To attain compliance, one must demonstrate how and audit is done and monitors all aspects of medication continually. These audits help you get assured that the staff is adhering to all correct procedures as laid down in the policy. It ensures that all patients are getting the most appropriate medication at the right time and by a competent staff.

Evidence of competence

Simply medication administration training does not guarantee safety or minimizes the potential danger that an incorrect administration of medication can have on any individual. Without the audit, you simply cannot be assured and certain that the staff would be following the correct procedures as specified in the national standards. They eliminate chances of an error by assessing the competency of staff administering medication on an ongoing basis as well as taking corrective steps.

Preventing and reducing errors

The audit facilitates the checking of records and individual supplies of medication which helps in easy identification of potential as well as actual errors. Incomplete or inaccurate records are a good indication that something more needs to be done to prevent errors from occurring. You need to be certain that your staff recognizes the ‘clues’ on a MAR sheet that can possibly prevent errors.

These audits are also perfect to demonstrate your accountability to all and help you develop and train your staff for a flawless operation.

Need of Policies and Procedures and Its Importance

Be it any service body of the community, each of them requires a set of policies and procedures to lay down specific guidelines for actions of all individuals concerned with the service. These are crucial and go a long way in ensuring and endorsing the well-being of all connected to the service like families, children, staff, volunteers etc. Whenever policies and procedures for community living are well thought out and above all, implemented well; they lay down a common understanding and agreement on how things should be done during any service. These help lay down clear instructions and guidelines as to what actions need to be taken in any particular set of circumstances or when faced with any crisis or issue suddenly.

If any community or organization has its policies and procedures in place, it is extremely easy to get the new staff or new families joining the community to become familiar with the service’s practices and also get to know of what to expect from  the service. However, it should also be remembered that policies are like ‘living documents’. They must be regularly reviewed and revised such that they meet the ever changing needs of the community as well as those working in it the service. It must be dynamic and adapt itself with all possible changes that may have taken place both within the community as well as in the service.

Thus, it can be easily summarized that a carefully and detailed thought out and implemented policies and procedures ensures -

• A good and healthy practice and work protocol.
• It helps in establishing a professional and ethical organization which is effective in its work.
• They bring about a consistency at all levels be it the staff, families, parents or even children.
• They erase out any ambiguity over the handling and actions on any particular situation or issue.
• They help grow harmony among staff.
• They make the entire operation more efficient and effective.