Administering medicines

 

Policy statement

     PWC Ltd will not administer any non-prescriptive medication to a child in care. If a child requires non-prescriptive medication, PWC Staff ask that the Parent/guardian administers the medication prior to leaving the child. If a child has received a non-prescriptive medicine before entering care, we ask that the PWC Staff are informed so that they can closely monitor the child.

    A child may attend a PWC Setting whilst receiving medication so long as one of following applies:

     > The child has a long term medical condition and requires ongoing treatment. 

     > The child is well and not distressed but needs to complete a course of treatment in order that they remain well.

     >  The child is no longer infectious.

     Oral presriptive medication can be administered, including asthma inhalers. Please ensure these are handed-in to a member of the PWC Staff and a medication form is completed.

     If a child requires life-saving medication, such as an insulin/adrenaline injection this can be left with the PWC Staff, although the Parent/guardian will be called back to administer this treatment this treatment as PWC Staff will not administer invasive and life-saving medication. In circumstances where such medication is required, the Parent/guardian and the PWC Manager will need to ensure that they agree affective proceduresto meet the child's needs. With any life-giving medication the Parent/guardian must complete a Healthcare Plan for their child, providing detailed information about the condition. It is the Parent's/guardian's responsibility to inform PWC Staff of any changes to a child's condition and/or medication.

Procedure

     A PWC Ltd Medication Form must be completed and each and every medicine administered to a child, must be recorded. The parent/guardian must be sign to state that they have given consent for the medication to be administered whilst their child is in our care. A Parental/guardian's signature must be obtained before the child is left in care and upon collection, after medication has been administered. The Parent/guardian is required to sign the Medication Form each day for the duration of the course of medication, where the child is attending a PWC Setting daily. In the event of treatment being long-term the form must be signed at the beginning and end of each week and a continuation sheet must be stapled to te child's medication form.

     It i sthe Parent's/guardian's responsibilty to inform PWC Staff of any changesn to a child's condition and/or medication. On being informed of changes the PWC Staff must ask the Parent/guardian to update the child's Healthcare Plan and complete a new Medication Form. A PWC Manager or member of the PWC Staff will administer medication and a witness must countersign the Medication Form and will check te doses of medication.

Life Saving Medication

     PWC Ltd policy states that we will not administer life-saving medication because if a child needs life-saving medication treatment we cannot automatically administer and in order to do os we must check with our Insurance company and gain training from either the child's GP or nominated paediatric nurse on administering treatment for that child. There is no blanket training for administering an anaphylaxis injection and you must be trained individually for each case.

     The following procedure must be followed before we can accept a child into care but please inform and seek advice from your PWC Operations Manager before implementing proceedings:           

          1)  Gain permission from the child's GP in writing explaining the child's condition and treatment required.

          2)  Organise between the Parent/guardian and GP for the training of administering the medication to be provided to the PWC Staff, before the child is accepted into care.

          3)  Ensure that a Training Form is signed by all pWC Staff who are trained and the trainer i.e GP or qualified nurse.

          4)  Ask the Parent/guardian to complete a Healthcare Plan, including signing the form giving PWC Staff written consent to allow a 'trained' member of PWC Staff to administer the medication.

       Whilst will we hold the child's life-saving medication, we cannot administer until the areas mentioned above have been completed and therefore the Parent/guardian must remain on the premises. In the short term or for one-off event, a clear procedure MUST be agreed with the Parent/guardian prior to leaving their child. In the event of anaphylaxis, you only have a very short time to administer adrenalin and therefore a thorough and quick procedure is needed. i.e. call straight through to the room the Parent is in, mobile phone - what is the coverage? How far is the room? This all must be considered and agreed with the Parent/guardian before the child is accepted into care. The agreed procedure should also be written on the back of the Medication Form and a Health Plan must also be completed for the child.

Storage of Medication 

        Medication should always be stored in its original container/packaging and the manufacturers guidelines must always be followed when administering medication. All prescriptive medicine must have the child's name on the label. A storage area for medication needs to be indentified prior to the children arriving - out of reach of children and in a lockable non portable cabinet(except where storgae in a fridge is required) that is accessible for those authorized to administer it.

 

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