Medication Management and Safety: Policies, Impact, and Reflection

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Task 3
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Medication management is an important aspect of the health care. High risk
medicines are highly likely to cause significant patient harm or death in case of misuse or
medication error. Every hospital is obliged to ensure medicine safety to reduce cost, minimise
ethical and legal issues. Administration of medicine is needed to ensure professional
accountability while balancing the effectiveness of medical treatments (Holmqvist, Ekstedt,
Walter, and Lehnbom 2018). Safe mediation management increases patient safety and
decrease repeated hospitalisation. Good medication management improves patient outcomes.
The assignment reviews and monitors the policies associated with medication management
and safety. It then discusses the impact of these policies on health and safety. The assignment
then provides reflection from personal practice.
Discussion
Review and monitoring of policies
In UK medication management and prescription of medicine re regulated by complex
of framework of policy, legislation and standards. HQIP commissioned the National Clinical
Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme (Simpson et al. 2015). This program conducts audit
to ensure there is compliance to the medication management standards (Nursing and
Midwifery Council 2015). All the nurses and midwifes in UK are mandated by the Nursing
and Midwifery Council (NMC). The NMC standards ensure safe practice in terms of
medication administration and prescription. Adherence to the standards will ensure that the
patent is benefitted (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2015). Prescription of drugs must
consider the efficacy, safety, cost-effectiveness, drug interactions and side effects.
Medication management is considered an vital part of the treatment. It is an important

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measure of professional performance for those who are registered to care for patients
(Nursing and Midwifery Council 2015).
The Human Medicine Regulations 2012 is the law related to the human use of the
medical products. The authorisation of the product includes a comprehensive regime for the
manufacture, sale, supply distribution, advertisement and pharmacovigilence of medical
products. It governs the manufacture and import of the medical products (Farre et al. 2017).
The NMC standards also regulate the supply of the medicines in addition to its
administration. These standards ensure that the supply of the medicines is in alignment with
the prescription forms, medication charts, exemption of medicines Act, patient group
discussions, and home remedy protocols (Nursing and Midwifery Council 2015). Nurses are
responsible for on time reporting of medication error and following events of the patients.
Lack of reporting leads to medication errors that are left unnoticed.
Other than that the NHS England proposes the directives for reporting the medication
errors. It also conducts clinical audits to identify the incidents of medication errors
(England.nhs.uk 2018). These clinical audits ensure that the professionals are accountable for
consequences of medication administration (EnglandNHS 2018). The standards mandate that
the practioners consider any allergic reaction the prescribed medication, ensure right dosage
is given to right patient with right route of administration (England.nhs.uk 2018). The nurses
and midwifes are responsible to report any harm due to medical products. In short the clinical
audits are the source of improvement in the medication services. Medication errors have been
attributed to the shortage of the nurses when compared to number of patients (Ashcroft et al.
2015). To minimise the issue more number of training and learning opportunities are
provided by Health Education England (England, N.H.S. and Care Quality Commission
2014).