Managing Medication Schedules Effectively

Properly managing and keeping track of medications is vital for homecare agencies.

Getting medication management right every time protects your home care clients, keeps them safe, and helps your agency stay on the right side of important regulations.

Accurate handling of medications greatly reduces the risk of errors and helps busy carers to deliver consistent and efficient high-quality care.

Thankfully, dedicated tools exist like home care software to make managing medication schedules straightforward, giving caregivers the confidence to do their jobs well and make life safer for clients.

As a leading provider of domiciliary care management software since 2000, TagCare have seen first-hand how this technology has evolved to mimic how your carers like to work and essentially transform homecare delivery.

Here, we explore the benefits of going paperless and switching to an electronic medicine management system.

What is an eMAR system?

In a nutshell, the Electronic Medication Administration Record (eMAR) is one of the best digital innovations available to homecare providers today.

If you haven’t come across it yet, an eMAR system digitally manages and tracks in real time when medication is administered by your homecare team.

Unlike traditional paper records, using eMAR dramatically cuts down on mistakes by clearly recording every medication given by your staff, at the time it is given.

Your carers can easily log into the system to check and make sure each person receives the right medicine at the right time and in the right amount.

Keeping electronic medication records is a safer and efficient way to provide instant, real-time information on medication orders, dosages and schedules, helping to improve care delivery.

A digital system also cuts down on any burdensome paperwork and saves valuable time spent on admin, freeing your carers up to focus on that all important client care.

Rory from Cosgrove Care agrees: “The TagCare system has no wasted space. It does exactly what we need it to do. It’s been such a time-saver, and the confidence it’s given staff will be really beneficial for years to come. I would recommend TagCare for any care organisation looking to make the switch to digital systems and processes.”

Keeping Compliant and Safe with Digital Medication Records

Making sure that medication records are accurate, complete and up-to-date is actually a legal necessity required by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The CQC regularly inspects home care agencies to confirm they meet their strict standards and are keeping *good quality records, especially around medications.

*Good quality records underpin the CQC’s five key questions asked in an inspection: Are they safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led?

eMAR systems make these checks far easier by automatically creating clear electronic records, which instantly alert carers if medication is missed or given incorrectly, and greatly reduces the chance of harm.

Easy access to these records makes CQC inspections less stressful and gives your agency confidence you’re providing high-quality care.

eMAR systems generally include the following:

• Information about a person.
• Any support the person needs to take their medicines.
• A facility to make notes.
• Details of personalised care plans.
• Management reports.
• Integrated ordering systems to manage medicines stock.

The CQC suggest a list of things to consider for your eMAR system, such as:

• How will you manage the transition from paper records to digital?
• What are the arrangements if the system or Internet goes down?
• How do you deliver training and assess the competency of staff to use the system?
• How do you manage mid-month changes and hospital discharges and add them to the system safely?
• Does the system have safety alerts to prevent medicines being given too close together or at the wrong time?
• Does the system meet current data governance and cyber security requirements?

Person-Centred Software and Medication Management

Great medication management makes sure records are accurate and up-to-date but more importantly support person-centred care.

By combining medication management with person-centred software, home care agencies can easily create detailed, individualised care plans for each client. Homecare services can be designed to support the aspirations, goals and priorities of each person, rather than providing ‘one size fits all’ services.

Using domiciliary care management software, caregivers have real-time updates at their fingertips. This means that communication between carers inevitably improves, allowing teams to respond quickly to any changes in a client’s health or needs.

This approach means every person gets exactly the care they need, making life better and safer for everyone involved.

Practical Tips for Using eMAR Systems

Switching from a traditional paper-based system to a new electronic record (eMAR) system can feel like a big change, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming.

We’ve come up with 4 practical tips to help smooth your transition to eMAR:

1. Train Your Team: Give care staff thorough initial training and schedule ongoing, regular sessions to keep confidence high and your team up-to-date.
2. Take it Step-by-Step: Introduce the new system slowly, starting with small groups of carers or clients.
3. Regular Check-ins: Keep checking in with your staff to see how things are going, and if any tweaks or improvements need to be made to keep everything running smoothly.
4. Encourage Feedback: Keep lines of communication open, so that carers, clients and their families can quickly share any issues or suggestions. Make full use of any tools and apps included in the system, for example, TagCare includes a popular Friends & Family App with our software.

Following these simple steps will make the changeover smoother and help everyone feel supported along the way.

Take Action Today: Improve Your Medication Management

Effective medication management is a given for any homecare agency and eMAR systems have made it easier than ever.

At TagCare, we understand the challenges homecare providers face every day. For over 25 years, our reliable, user-friendly home care software has helped agencies simplify medication management, stay compliant and provide top-quality homecare.

Contact our friendly team on 01254 819205 or howcanwehelp@tagcare.co.uk for a free demo and discover how TagCare can support your homecare agency.