A new document, Professional Guidance on the Administration of Medicines, has been published, introducing for the first time multi-professional standards for medicines administration.
The guidance was developed following an eight-week consultation as part of the project on the Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines and was overseen by a multidisciplinary task group, including service users. It provides principles-based guidance to ensure the safe administration of medicines by healthcare professionals.
Additionally, updated guidance that was published in late 2018 on the Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines, which includes a section specifically aimed at theatre environments and covering interventional and cardiac catheter labs, is also available for SoR members to download.
"As part of the working party on Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines, the Society welcomes the updated and new guidance documents as part of the quality assurance processes for patients requiring medicines in radiotherapy and radiology departments" comments professional officer, Sue Johnson.
"The guidance is intended to assure the quality of medicines management across the whole medicines pathway and is the standard to which all radiology and radiotherapy departments should aspire," Sue continues.
The good practice guidance covers obtaining medicines, their transport, receipt, manufacture or manipulation, and storage. It also includes information on the issuing of medicines, and their removal or disposal. Additional guidance is provided about the handling of controlled drugs and the safe and secure handling of medicines in theatres.
Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines is produced in line with the gold standard of NICE accreditation.