Assisting with Self-Administration of Medications: Guidelines (REL-SRC-0-ASMG)

Course overview

The ability to self-administer medications and perform activities of daily living is important to many people in maintaining their independence. The purpose of this course is to provide unlicensed personnel working in residential care settings, home care, and hospice with the basic information and knowledge to properly assist individuals with the self-administration of their medications. You will learn the basic rules to follow and precautions to take, as well as the rights of medication administration as they pertain to assisting with the self-administration of medication. You will explore the various forms of medications and the corresponding routes that are used for each form. Finally, you will encounter special instructions for documentation and the proper storage, security, and disposal of medications. Being aware of each of these basic guidelines will help you organize your thoughts as a healthcare professional and put appropriate and effective interventions into practice. As you progress through this course, it is critical for you to always keep in mind the importance of being aware of and following your scope of practice guidelines and organizational policies and procedures, and acknowledge the fact that practice guidelines and regulations do vary from state to state and from organization to organization.