Care home medicines management steering group

The aim of the Care Home Medicines Management Steering Group is to encourage working together to improve the safe use of medicines in care homes and to have a closer understanding across the interface between GPs, pharmacists and care homes.

This steering group was formed following the publication of The Care Homes Use of Medicines Study:

 The care homes use of medicines study (PDF) [2MB]

Members of the group include GPs, community pharmacists, care home managers and commissioning managers from Local Councils, Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group and South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group.

You can contact us by email at D-CCG.CaringForCareHomes@nhs.net

Care Home Medicines Management Checklist

The Care Home Medicines Management Checklist has been designed to provide care homes with support, guidance and evidence towards compliance with Care Quality Commission (CQC) Outcome 9: Management of Medicines. The checklist identifies systems that should be in place and this should be completed annually. The supporting audits demonstrate whether policies and procedures are being followed and these should be completed more frequently (recommended every one to two months).

Care home medicines management checklist (PDF) [176KB]

Controlled drugs (supporting audit) (PDF) [52KB]

Medication administration record (supporting audit) (PDF) [94KB]

Storage of medicines (supporting audit) (PDF) [55KB]

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline: Managing Medicines in care homes

This guideline considers all aspects of managing medicines in care homes and recommends that all care home providers have a care home medicines policy. The policy should ensure that processes are in place for safe and effective use of medicines in the care home.

NICE: Managing medicines in care homes guidelines

NICE has recommended in this guideline that care home providers should have a care home medicines policy that includes written processes. They have produced a checklist for health and social care staff who are developing and updating care home medicines policies and it gives more information about the processes that should be covered.

NICE: Managing medicines in care homes checklist

For more information please email QualityAssurance&ImprovementTeam@plymouth.gov.uk