Cpm2012-11-02v2 medication policy section b infant child medication

Policy number: CPM2012/11/02v2
Manual: Clinical Policy Manual


POLICY NAME: Medication – Section B: Infant/Child Medication

1.1 Referral of Infant /Child on Medication

Referral letter from a medical practitioner is required, if the infant/child is on Referral letter must reflect the current medication, dosage, frequency and be Parents need to be advised of this at the Pre-Admission Interview (PAI). This information is included in the information sent to parents. If, on admission, a letter is not presented, the Tresillian Paediatrician who is assigned to the family, or is on call for the week, is contacted and a medication order decision is given. The Paediatrician has responsibility for the decision regarding contacting the Medical Practitioner who is looking after the If no Paediatrician is available at admission to review infant/child prescribed medication then a verbal or faxed order must be given. The following steps must be taken:-  The letter accompanying an infant/child detailing their current medication must be checked by telephone by the Registered Nurse and another nurse with the Paediatrician, under whose care the infant/child is being admitted or who is on call for that week. Refer to telephone medication orders Section A point 5.  Following a verbal order, the Paediatrician must attend and complete a  A medication chart order may be faxed, and filed in the health record.
1.2 Non Prescribed Medication

Parents will be advised at PAI that any non-prescribed medication (e.g. complementary medicines) will be ceased on admission and reviewed by a Paediatrician during the Residential admission. For those parents who, on admission, are unwilling to cease non-prescribed medication e.g. complementary medicines given to their infant/child, the medication may be continued, after authorisation by the Paediatrician until reviewed by the Paediatrician. The parents must be informed, when authorisation is reviewed and documented in the health record. If the infant/child is on prescribed medication which requires the Paediatrician to be contacted at admission and non prescribed medication is being used as well, then the administration of the non prescribed medication should also be Note: If the Paediatrician allocated to the infant/child is not available then
systematically contact other accredited Paediatricians for the site to prescribe medication. If no Paediatricians allocated to the site can be contacted then the Director of Medical Services would be contacted. Policy Number:
Review Date:
Approved /Endorsed by:
Replaces:
Release Date:
Policy number: CPM2012/11/02v2
Manual: Clinical Policy Manual


1.3 Medication to be Used
The infant/child’s medication from home will be used within Tresillian when the parent
completes and signs an “Infant / Child Medication Confirmation” form (TMR 3) see
Appendix 4. The medication must arrive in the box / container that it was supplied in
and not decanted into another container.
If the parent does not bring the infant / child’s medication then medication must be
obtained by the usual processes, i.e. external pharmacy or hospital pharmacy after
obtaining a script from the Tresillian Paediatrician and will be at the parents cost.

1.4 Administration of Paediatric Drugs
The Registered Nurse is responsible for the administration of drugs administered to
the infant/child. The Registered Nurse must sign the medication chart to document
the medication has been given.
1.5 Admission of an infant / child on Antibiotics
An infant / child admitted to Tresillian Family Care Centres on antibiotic therapy
usually require this therapy for management of common infections of the respiratory
tract, urinary tract, ears and skin. Antibiotic therapy is usually effective within 48-72
hours, so providing an infant / child is well, being on antibiotics does not prevent
admission. However, sometimes, even though a course of antibiotics is being
administered, the infant / child may still be unwell at the time of the admission and it
is not appropriate for the admission to proceed.
At Time of Confirmation
If the infant /child is well and asymptomatic, the admission can proceed. In addition,
parents need to be advised that if the infant / child is unwell on admission, the
admission will not proceed and readmission information will be provided to the
parents.
If the infant / child remains symptomatic, the parents need to be advised that the
admission will be rescheduled following consultation between parents and nursing
staff.
1.6
Medication on Discharge
Any unused medication that has been brought in for use by the infant/ child must be
returned to the parent on discharge.
1.7
References and related policies
NSW Department of Health Policy Directive PD2007_077 Medication Handling in NSW Public Hospitals. NSW Department of Health Policy Directive PD2009_009 Paracetamol Use. NURSE INITIATED MEDICATION - CHILD

The only nurse initiated medication identified for Tresillian Family Care Centre
are for those solutions listed below and do not require the use of a paediatric
inpatient chart.

Policy Number:
Review Date:

Source: http://policies.tresillian.net/manuals/clinical-policy/section-11/cpm2012-11-02v2-medication-policy-section-b-infant-child-medication-nov-2009.pdf