You are here:

  1. Home
  2. NICE Guidance
  3. Health and social care delivery
  4. Adult's social care

Managing medicines in care homes

  • Social care guideline
  • Reference number: SC1
  • Published:  14 March 2014
  • Guidance
  • Tools and resources
  • Information for the public
  • Evidence
  • History
Download (PDF)
  • About this information
  • Legislation, regulation and professional standards
  • Care home medicines policy
  • Involving people in decisions
  • Sharing information
  • Keeping records
  • Dealing with mistakes
  • Accurately listing and reviewing medicines
  • Prescribing medicines for people in care homes
  • Ordering medicines for people in care homes
  • Storing and disposing of medicines in care homes
  • Supporting people in care homes to take their own medicines
  • When staff give medicines to people in care homes
  • When care home staff give medicines without a resident knowing
  • Non-prescription medicines and over-the-counter products
  • Questions to ask about managing medicines in care homes
  • Sources of advice and support

Care home medicines policy

All care homes should have a written policy that they follow, which gives information about how staff in the care homes should:

  • share information about medicines

  • keep records about medicines

  • deal with any mistakes that might happen when people who are living in a care home are given their medicines

  • review and accurately list the medicines someone is taking

  • order, receive, store and dispose (or get rid) of medicines

  • give medicines to people in their care.

The policy should be checked regularly to make sure that it is up to date.

This page was last updated: 14 March 2014


Next page Involving people in decisions Previous page Legislation, regulation and professional standards
Back to top