Medication Reminders and Direct Service Worker Medication Administration

Sets the two levels of medication help the Agency gives. Every direct care worker may give medication reminders, within strict limits. Only if the Agency chooses to offer it, a direct service worker who has completed 16 hours of medication administration training, person-specific training and written competency certification by a registered nurse may administer oral and topical medications and perform other noncomplex tasks for a client in stable condition, under LAC 48:I Chapter 92, Subchapter D.

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About this policy

Policy number: LA-HC-SVC-02
Version: 1.0
Main rule: LAC 48:I.9243
Library: Louisiana home care · 50 policies
Category: Clinical tasks
Sections: 26

In short

You may remind a client to take medicine, open the bottle, read the label and check the dose on the label.
Do not fill pill boxes, hand out pills or put medicine in the client's mouth unless an RN has trained and authorized you in writing for that client.
If you are authorized, give only the tasks the RN approved, from a labeled container, and write down each dose right away.
Tell your supervisor right away if the client refuses, runs out, takes the wrong dose or seems unwell after a medicine.
If a client is harmed by a medicine, call 911 first, then your supervisor.

What's inside

26 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.

Full text with a package

Terms of Reference
1. Purpose
2. Scope
3. Definitions
4. Policy Statement (LAC 48:I.9243)
5. Medication Reminders (Every Client Whose ISP Includes Them)
5.1 What the Worker Does With a Reminder
6. Deciding Whether the Agency Offers Direct Service Worker Medication Administration
7. Conditions Before Any Task Is Authorized
8. Training and Competency
8.1 Medication administration training (16 hours)
8.2 Person-specific training
8.3 Annual competency evaluation
9. Tasks an Authorized Worker May Perform
10. Giving Medication Safely
10.1 Medication errors
11. Who Does What
12. When Authorization Ends
13. Documentation the Agency Keeps
14. Responsibilities
15. Records and Compliance Monitoring
16. Staff Training
17. References
18. Related Policies and Forms
19. Approval
20. Revision History

An inspector may ask

Do any of your direct service workers administer medication? Show me the RN's written competency certification for this worker.
Show me the RN assessment for this client. When was the last one?

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Rules it follows

LAC 48:I.9243LAC 48:I.5003LAC 48:I.5079.B.1.jLAC 48:I.5039.B.3LAC 48:I.5055.GLAC 48:I.9201LAC 48:I.9202.D.1LAC 48:I.9241LAC 48:I.9243.A.2.dLAC 48:I.9245LAC 48:I.9245.A.1LAC 48:I.9247LAC 48:I.9249LAC 48:I.9251LAC 48:I.9253LAC 48:I.9255LAC 48:I.9255.BLAC 48:I.9257LAC 48:I.9259LAC 48:I.9261La. R.S. 37:1031 et seq.Medicaid Services Manual, Chapter 30, §30.2OAAS-PC-21-004, Direct Service Provider Critical Incident Report Guide

Forms included

LA-HC-SVC-02-A RN Authorization, Person-Specific Training, and Competency Certification for DSW Medication Administration
LA-HC-SVC-02-B Medication Reminder and Administration Record

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