A Comprehensive Guide to Medication Safety for Long Term Care Patients

Most people think that nursing homes aren’t meant for them. But the reality is long-term care is the need of the hour in the US. According to the Administration of Community Living (ACL), someone turning 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing some form of long-term care in their remaining years. On average, women need 3.7 years of long-term care, while men need it for 2.2 years.

Long-term care can be a challenging environment, especially when it comes to medication safety. With complex medication regimens, the risk of adverse drug interactions and side effects is high.

Pharmacists can help in maintaining medication safety in long-term care facilities. Their expertise in long-term care pharmacy safety is invaluable and must work closely alongside long-term care facilities to ensure medication safety.

Let's see how.

1. Comprehensive Medication Reviews

In long-term care, medication safety starts with detailed medication reviews. Since most residents take multiple drugs, it's crucial to make sure each one is necessary and helpful.

A skilled pharmacist will carefully check each drug during reviews, looking for any interactions that could harm the patient. This is the best way to boost long-term care pharmacy safety.

But there's more to it. The reviews also involve checking the right dosages. The pharmacist can make sure each dose is just right. Using medical dispensing systems helps ensure accurate dosages too. Keeping a digital record of all patients and their medical history adds another layer of safety to the facility's long-term care practices.

2. Medication Therapy Management (MTM)

Medication Therapy Management is a way to make sure patients in long-term care get the best out of their meds. It's a team effort with pharmacists and healthcare providers working together.

First, pharmacists check each patient's meds, looking for what works and what could cause problems. Then, healthcare providers adjust the prescriptions as needed.

But the most important part is getting patients involved. So, talk to the patients, hear their concerns, and address them. Help them understand and handle their treatment plans well. With everyone working together, MTM helps patients in long-term care get the most from their medications.

3. Communication and Collaboration

Clear and simple communication is critical for medication safety in long-term care. Speak clearly and work well with everyone involved. Start by being open and actively listening when talking to patients and their families, especially about medication safety.

Give the staff, patients, and families written instructions and educational materials. This is a great way to ensure everyone understands how the medications work. Just make sure the information is easy to understand. It should cover the important points, such as why the medicine is needed, how much to take, and any possible side effects. Keeping communication straightforward and clear makes long-term care more effective for everyone.

4. Interprofessional Collaboration

Healthcare providers need to work together in long-term care. This means doctors, nurses, and pharmacists need to coordinate well. So, how do care facilities make this teamwork better?

Set up good communication. Use email, messaging, and other ways to keep everyone informed and working together smoothly. But, go a step further. Have regular meetings and clear communication rules.

Also, share electronic health records to make things even more efficient. Include all these tools in the long-term care plan. When everyone communicates well and has the same information, it makes teamwork in long-term care much smoother and more effective.

5. Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

Federal laws recommend using Electronic Health Records (EHRs), and they offer real benefits in long-term care:

• EHRs keep accurate and detailed patient information, which is crucial for medication safety.
• They help keep the medication list current, showing recent prescription changes. This helps avoid errors like duplicate therapies or drug interactions.
• EHRs provide easy access to a patient's medical history, allergies, and past drug reactions. This helps healthcare providers make quick decisions about patient care.

Using EHRs in long-term care ensures reliable information, reduces mistakes, and supports informed healthcare choices.

6. Medication Dispensing Systems

Automation is changing how things work in various fields, including long-term care. Consider using automated medication dispensing systems for safer medication practices. These systems make delivering drugs to patients more effortless. With automation, patients get their medications on time and in the right amounts.

In long-term care, this lowers the chances of mistakes, especially human errors. This is vital because medication routines in long-term care are often complex. However, regularly check and update the automated equipment. Regular maintenance and calibration keep the systems working well and ensure continued medication safety.

7. Patient Education and Empowerment

Help patients stay safe with education and empowerment. Make sure they understand and stick to their treatment. Keep medication schedules and instructions simple, concise, and clear.

Also, encourage patients to talk about the challenges they're facing. Let them share problems or questions with their healthcare team. When patients speak up, it helps doctors and nurses see if the treatment plan is going well.

Keep this friendly communication going regularly to ensure everyone is on the same page. This way, patients can manage their health better, and everyone will work together for their well-being.

8. Pill Organizers and Packaging

Make things easier and safer in long-term care by using pill organizers and blister packs. These help patients manage their meds better. For instance, pill organizers with sections for each day or time make it easy to take medicines. Medication cards come in either heat seal or cold seal styles, and in a wide variety of blister counts. It can be very efficient and beneficial to fill a pill card for an entire month of medications at once.

This not only makes handling medicine easy but also helps patients stick to their treatment plan. Color-coded pill bottles can also be useful in some instances.

Pick the packaging that makes managing meds organized and efficient. This way, it's simpler for everyone. And more importantly, patients can keep up with their medicine routine without hassle.

9. Staff Training and Education

It's crucial to keep the staff in the loop about medication safety. Regular training sessions can help them stay updated on safety rules and learn about new medicines. Workshops are also a great way to teach them how to use new medications and make sure everyone follows safety measures.

This keeps everyone on the same page and helps provide the best care for patients. So, by having ongoing training and workshops, the staff is always learning and staying sharp on how to ensure medication safety.

10. Identify High-Risk Medications

Some medications come with higher risks than others. Often, these medications are in special classifications that legally require special handling and procedures. Create clear rules for giving out and monitoring these high-risk drugs. Be sure everyone is properly trained in how to handle them safely.

Setting up these guidelines helps the staff be careful with medicines that could be a bit tricky. This way, the team stays aware, and patients get the safest and most effective care possible when using these high-risk medications.

11. Monitoring and Reporting Adverse Events

Reporting bad reactions to drugs is crucial for keeping everyone safe. Make a system where everyone can similarly report these events. Keep this process clear and easy to understand. This standardized reporting system helps catch issues early.

Work closely with agencies that regulate drugs to share this info quickly. Team up with them to help address the problems quickly. By having a smooth process in place, everyone can keep an eye out for and fix any adverse events. That, in turn, ensures medicines are as safe as possible for everyone using them.

12. Emergency Preparedness

Make sure emergency medication kits are always ready to go. Regularly check and update emergency plans to keep things current. Having well-prepared kits means having the right medicines and supplies on hand in case of an emergency.

Regularly reviewing and updating protocols ensures everyone knows what to do when things get serious. So, keep the right tools and steps ready to go whenever needed. This way, the team stays prepared and can act quickly to keep everyone safe in emergencies.

Conclusion

Ensuring medication safety in long-term care requires a multi-faceted approach. From comprehensive medication reviews to interprofessional collaboration, each strategy plays a crucial role in safeguarding patient health. Long-term care facilities also need to invest in effective communication, staff training, patient education, and emergency preparedness. Focusing on these key areas can significantly boost overall patient care.

At Total Pharmacy Supply, we can help long-term care facilities with packaging solutions, including pill organizers and blister packs. Start browsing our inventory or call (800) 878-2822 now.