Medication Tech Training

Specialties Disabilities

Published

Okay, the state of Tennessee has just passed a law granting properly trained staff permission to pass medications. I know there are plenty of other states out there that have been doing this for years, but this is new to us. Was wondering if anyone can share training material on properly training direct care staff to pass medications safely? I work in an ICF/MR facility, so it is not Supported Living. All ideas, thoughts and trainings are welcome.

Thanks, Charlie

I work in both RI and Mass---two very different systems. In RI, the providers fought a longer standardized training and we are left with nothing formal--yet our Nurse Practice Act directly reflects the use of the program that was "rescinded" (which didn't actually happen) and in Mass I am going through the classes to MAP certify staff.

In RI I use a pharmacy that prepacks my group homes and ind. living meds It has reduced errors overall, though my programs had few to begin with. (there's something to be said for being a B***h with high standards of care) Yes, staff still need to monitor for onset of new side effects, but as anurse, its my job to provide them with the information to identify this. By using a prepacked system, it allows me the time to be more proactive as opposed to tracking down direct support staff for errors.

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i'm starting my nursing program in the fall and am waiting to here back from a a group home for MRDD about starting work there while in school.

if hired we have 2 training sessions and then i believe a week of supervision. not having done this before i can't say if this is sufficient, but i will be taking pharm during my first semester and can guarantee i will have my davis drug guide with me while at work.

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I'm looking for any information on where to find an ICF/MR in Montgomery county in PA. I really do want to work with them, but it is really hard to find such a place. Thanks for any comments...They are very mcuh appreciated...:nurse:

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i work in a developmentally disabled group home in maryland, and i am a cmt for md. we had to take a 30 hour medication training course and pass with 100%. then we have to be passed off by and rn on a med pass every 6 months. i am also currently enrolled in nursing studies (pre-reqs) and i was also a supervisor for these group homes and i agree that some of the people that give these meds have absolutely no right being in this profession. even with the strict training we have in maryland most of the people i would be scared to put under my license (when i get one :)).

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do the nurses in your state delegate to the staff or are the staff licensed/certified on their own after taking the 30 hour class and passing the test with 100%?

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We are seperately licensed and also delegated by the RN in charge of the house under their license.

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Interesting....In Mass, the MAP trained staff are certified on their own and there's no delegation by the RN. In RI, where I work primarily, it's ALL delegation with no standardized training in the DD field. There are med techs in other areas, but they typically don't work in the DD field.

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actually, the the med techs can be licensed to do just about anything here. i have gtube training, insulin training, and i also have training to do wet/dry wraps.

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we do g tubes, jtubes, etc., and as of march of this year, can delegate insulin injections if they are predosed. In Mass, only nurses can do insulin.

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we can do premeasured and manual measured. i just got trained for that last week.

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whats up Charlie don't take in all the neg only pos Iam sure u will do just fine I use to be a med tech in Texas and it is not that difficult just make sure you check the patients wrist band so all identification match up and make sure you document it right after the med is given make sure you count all narcotics when you come on shift and before you leave your shift even if you feel they are trust worthy always count the narcotics and sign off and just cause some of you people are nurse don't mean you should be charlie keep on advancing in your career God bless you .

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Specializes in Emergency nursing, psych nursing, LTC.

In NC you can become certified as a med tech as well. From a nursing point of view I think this is unsafe. I just can't undertstand how anyone can gain enough knowledge in an 8-14 hour course to safely administer medications when I took an entire semester (12 weeks) of Pharmacology. I still have to look up some medications in the reference book before I give them because I'm not familiar with them and need to know side effects to look for, effective response, labs to monitor, etc. And new medications are discovered every year! I'm just not comfortable letting my license ride on someone who doesn't have the education of experience to properly assess a patient before adminstering a medication. The key word here being ASSESS! The last time I checked assessment was not a task that could or should be delegated to non-licensed personnel.

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