Assisting with medication self-administration is where a caregiver can aid an individual who is capable of knowing which medications to take but needs some help in taking their medications. There are specific abilities a caregiver must be able to perform and include:
- Ability to read and understand a prescription label.
- Ability to assist with oral (mouth), topical (skin), ophthalmic (eye), otic (ear) nasal (nose), and inhaled forms of medications.
- Be able to measure liquid medications, break scored tablets, or crush tablets as directed.
- Be able to recognize when to clarify an “as needed” prescription order.
- Recognize an order that requires judgment or discretion.
- Safely store medications.
- Complete a medication observation record or other required documentation.
- Recognize general signs of adverse reactions to medications and report such reactions.