Medication Awareness and Record Keeping

A CPD refresher for practitioners already supporting people with their medicines.

Overview

Medicines are the most common intervention in health and social care and the most common source of avoidable harm. National estimates put medication errors in England at around 237 million a year, of which some 66 million are potentially clinically significant, contributing to about 1,700 deaths. In care homes, the CHUMS study found seven in ten residents experienced at least one medication error on any given day. Most of those errors were ordinary steps done under pressure: a dose missed during an interrupted round, a MAR not compared with the last one, a patch not counted out, a verbal change acted on without paper.

This course is a structured refresher for people who already handle medicines as part of their job. It covers the whole pathway — roles and accountability, law and regulation in England and Wales, medicine groups and risks, ordering and storage, safe administration, controlled drugs, record keeping, errors and candour, person-centred support and transitions, and audit and competence — with the medication administration record (MAR) treated as the spine that connects them. Each module closes with an Apply and Reflect task completed in the learner’s own workplace and logged as CPD evidence.

Who this course is for

Assumes learners are already in post, have completed a medicines induction, and hold or are working towards a competency assessment with their employer. Not suitable as a first medicine course, as training for delegated clinical tasks, or as evidence of competence on its own.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

Career path

Course structure

Apply and Reflect
Each module closes with an Apply and Reflect task completed in the learner’s own workplace. A practitioner-support note precedes Module 8, plus a 20-question assessment with a trainer-only answer key.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Does completing this course allow me to administer medicines?

No. Authority to prompt, assist or administer comes from your role, your employer’s policy, your training record and a competency assessment carried out in your workplace. This course is CPD; it evidences learning, not competence.

Q. Is the course accredited, and does it carry CPD points?

The provider decides whether to seek endorsement or accreditation and what CPD hours or points to attach. Nothing in this package should be described as accredited, endorsed or point-bearing until confirmed.

Q. Which country is it for?

England and Wales. Where the two differ — regulator, regulations, candour duty, controlled drug reporting — the slides say so. Scotland and Northern Ireland are not covered.

Q. Is it suitable for nurses?

As CPD context, yes; as clinical training, no. It does not teach injection technique or other clinical skills and does not replace NMC requirements or employer clinical competencies.

Q. Can it be delivered online?

Yes — the deck works for face-to-face or virtual delivery. The Apply and Reflect tasks assume access to a workplace and its records.

Q. What if my policy says something different from a slide?

At work, your policy governs the process. If your policy is less strict than national guidance, raise it with your manager; if a slide seems out of date, check the source named on it.

Q. Does the course cover what to do if I make an error?

Yes: recognition, immediate response, escalation, reporting and candour, at the level a practitioner needs. It does not train investigation, and a practitioner-support note precedes that module.

Q. How long is the certificate valid?

That is for the provider to state. Many employers expect medicines refresher training at least annually and re-assessment of competence after errors or long absence — check your policy.

MEDICATION AWARENESS AND RECORD KEEPING · 25 CPD HOURS · ACCREDITED BY CPD STANDARDS OFFICE · TEN MODULES