Administration of medicine

Health procedures

Administration of medicine

Key persons are responsible for administering medication to their key children; ensuring consent forms are completed, medicines stored correctly, and records kept.

Administering medicines during the child’s session will only be done if absolutely necessary.

If a child has not been given a prescription medicine before, the parents must keep them at home for 48 hours to ensure no adverse effect, and to give it time to take effect. The setting managers must check the insurance policy document to be clear about what conditions must be reported to the insurance provider.

Consent for administering medication

Only a person with parental responsibility (PR), or a foster carer may give consent. A childminder, grandparent, parent’s partner who does not have PR, cannot give consent.
When bringing in medicine, the parent informs their key person/back up key person, or manager if the key person is not available.
Staff who receive the medication, check it is in date and prescribed specifically for the current condition. It must be in the original container (not decanted into a separate bottle). It must be labelled with the child’s name and original pharmacist’s label.
Medication dispensed by a hospital pharmacy will not have the child’s details on the label but should have a dispensing label. Staff must check with parents and record the circumstance of the events and hospital instructions as relayed to them by the parents.
Members of staff who receive the medication ask the parent to sign a consent form stating the following information. No medication is given without these details:
full name of child and date of birth
name of medication and strength
dosage to be given
expiry date
signature and printed name of parent and date

Storage of medicines

All medicines are stored safely. Refrigerated medication is stored on a separate shelf in the fridge.

The key person is responsible for ensuring medicine is handed back at the end of the day to the parent.
Parents do not access where medication is stored, to reduce the possibility of a mix-up with medication for another child, or staff not knowing there has been a change.

Children with long term medical conditions requiring ongoing medication

Risk assessment is carried out for children that require ongoing medication. This is the responsibility of the setting manager and key person. Other medical or social care personnel may be involved in the risk assessment.
Parents contribute to risk assessment. They are shown around the setting, understand routines and activities and discuss any risk factor for their child.
For some medical conditions, key staff will require basic training to understand it and know how medication is administered. Training needs is part of the risk assessment.
Risk assessment includes any activity that may give cause for concern regarding an individual child’s health needs.
Risk assessment also includes arrangements for medicines on outings; advice from the child’s GP’s is sought if necessary, where there are concerns.
Health care plan form is completed fully with the parent; outlining the key person’s role and what information is shared with other staff who care for the child.
The plan is reviewed every six months (more if needed). This includes reviewing the medication, for example, changes to the medication or the dosage, any side effects noted etc.

Staff taking medication

Staff taking medication must inform their manager. The medication must be stored securely in staff lockers or a secure area away from the children. The manager must be made aware of any contra-indications for the medicine so that they can risk assess and take appropriate action as required.

Further guidance

Medication Administration Record (Early Years Alliance 2019)