Is this considered dispensing meds?

[valifay]

My day job is through an agency doing home health as a CNA. I primarily work in active retirement communities and one of my main duties is to do med reminders. A couple of our clients have their meds locked up, so I give them their pill box and they take their pills. I know thats alright for me to do. A couple others need us to open the bottles/pill boxes and thats ok too. But, one resident cannot get his pills out of the bubble packs and the agency said its alright for me to pop them out. Now, is this something CNA's can do? I was always told at previous jobs not to touch the meds...not to even pour them out of the pill box into the clients hand because thats giving meds and CNA's can't do that. What do you think? I don't think i should be doing it, but the agency doesn't seem to think its a big deal.

[TazziRN, RN]

I'm not sure if I would consider that dispensing. I would, however, advise you to call the state to find out for sure.

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

Our pharmacist (civilian not hospital) will fill pill boxe for the elderly.

When I worked home health as an RN we would do this and also fill a weeks worth of insulin syringes.

I too feel uncomfortable with your administering meds as a CNA. Nurses administer, pharmacists dispense.

Call your agency for clarification in writing, and if you stillfeel uncomfortable then call the state.

[LPN1974, LPN]

Do you have to make the judgement on whether the person gets this pill or that pill at a certain time, or are the residents alert and oriented enough to say which ones they should take at any given time?

IMHO, if you're having to look at the labels and make those decisions, then you're administering.

I work with developmentally delayed people and we have several who are on Self Administration programs to learn how to take their meds.

Some can do it and do it well, but some have been on the program for years and still don't know what to take when. I have to show certain ones everyday, every time, which meds to take, how many pills, etc.

A CNA could not do this, IMHO.

HOWever, some of our people have gone out to live in group homes, and I guarantee you that it is being done by CNA's. And I know the people they are

administering the meds to, and those people were not capable of making the decisions....they must be shown everytime which meds to take.

It is beyond me how they are allowed to do this.

[BKRN]

My day job is through an agency doing home health as a CNA. I primarily work in active retirement communities and one of my main duties is to do med reminders. A couple of our clients have their meds locked up, so I give them their pill box and they take their pills. I know thats alright for me to do. A couple others need us to open the bottles/pill boxes and thats ok too. But, one resident cannot get his pills out of the bubble packs and the agency said its alright for me to pop them out. Now, is this something CNA's can do? I was always told at previous jobs not to touch the meds...not to even pour them out of the pill box into the clients hand because thats giving meds and CNA's can't do that. What do you think? I don't think i should be doing it, but the agency doesn't seem to think its a big deal.

I think that if the resident knows which pill he is to take- and you are just popping it out for him (because of arthritis, etc) that is ok-IMO. I would call the board just to be sure though.