R432-200-18. Medication Administration

(1) Standing Orders.

Standing orders for medications, treatments, and laboratory procedures shall not be used. All orders shall be written for the individual resident.

(2) Administration of Medication and Treatments.

Medication and treatment shall be administered as follows:

(a) No medication or treatment shall be administered except on the order of a person lawfully authorized to give such order.

(b) Medications and treatments shall be administered as prescribed and according to facility policy.

(c) All medications and treatments shall be administered by licensed medical or licensed nursing personnel. Student doctors and nurses may administer medication and treatment only in the course of study and when supervised by a licensed instructor or designated staff.

(d) Monitoring of vital signs and other observations done in conjunction with the administration of medication shall be carried out as ordered by the physician or practitioner and as indicated by accepted professional practice.

(e) Preparation of doses for more than one scheduled time of administration shall not be permitted.

(f) Medication shall be administered when ordered or as soon thereafter as possible but no more than two hours after the dose has been prepared.

(g) Medication shall be administered by the same person who prepared the dose for administration.

(h) Residents shall be identified prior to the administration of any drug or treatment.

(i) No medication shall be used for any resident other than the resident for whom it was prescribed.

(j) If the person who prescribed a medication does not limit the duration of the drug order or the number of doses, the facility's automatic stop-order policy shall indicate how long a drug may be administered. The prescriber shall be notified before the medication is discontinued.

(k) All orders for treatment or therapy shall contain:

(i) the name of the treatment or therapy,

(ii) the frequency and time to be administered,

(iii) the length of time the treatment or therapy is to continue,

(iv) the name and professional title of the practitioner who gave the order,

(v) the date of order, and

(vi) signature of the person prescribing the treatment or therapy.

(l) All nursing personnel shall comply with the provisions for administration of medication according to standards and ethics of the profession.

(m) Injectable medications shall be administered only by authorized persons.

(i) If a physician certifies that a resident is capable of administering his own insulin or oral medications, the resident may self-inject the prescribed insulin or self-administer the prescribed medications.

(ii) The physician's order, authorizing the resident's self-administration of medications, shall be documented and available for Departmental review.