Self-Administration of Medication

Section 340 Section 340.1675  Self-Administration of Medication a)         A resident may self-administer medications, as approved in writing by the resident's personal licensed prescriber. b)         All medications shall be properly labeled and stored in a locked area at all times.  Areas shall be well lighted and of sufficient size to permit storage without crowding.  This area may be a drawer, closet, cabinet or room.  The medication area shall not be used for any other purpose.  It shall not be located in residents' rooms, bathrooms or the kitchen, except as allowed in subsection (d) of this Section.  The key to the medication area shall be the responsibility of, and in the possession of, the staff persons responsible for overseeing the self-administration of medications by residents. c)         If the facility medication policies permit residents to be totally responsible for their own medication, with written permission from the attending physician, the resident and attending physician shall be given written statements concerning what the responsibilities of the facility, the resident and the physician are if the resident, or any other person, suffers harm as a result of the resident's handling his or her own medications. d)         Residents who are totally responsible for their own medication shall maintain possession of the key or combination of the lock to their own medication storage area, which may be a locked drawer or cabinet in the resident's room or private bathroom.  A duplicate key, or a copy of the combination, shall be kept by the facility in a secure place, for emergency use. e)         Facility staff shall not administer medications unless they are properly licensed to administer medications, in accordance with their respective licensing requirements.  Unlicensed facility staff may assist in self-administration of medications as follows: 1)         They may prompt a resident that it is the time to take medication. 2)         They may assist a resident in the self-administration of medications by taking the medication from the locked area where it is stored and handing it to the resident. If the resident is physically unable to the open the container, a staff member may open the container for the resident. 3)         Facility staff may also assist physically impaired residents, such as those who have arthritis, cerebral palsy, or Parkinson's disease, in the removal of the medication from the container and in assisting the resident in consuming or applying the medication when requested to do so by the resident.  (For example, a staff member may place a dose of medicine in a container and place the container to the mouth of a resident who would not be able to do so himself without spilling it.)