Megan Middleton Safe practice in administration Unit 41. P5
P5- Explain safe practice in the administration and storage of medication.
Obtaining consent for administration;
Mental capacity and informed consent
For consent to be lawful, it must be given voluntary and independently by the individual receiving
the treatment, this can either be accepting or declining the medication or procedure. The patient
must also be aware of what will happen during the procedure, any risks and benefits involved.
However, the individual must have full mental capacity, meaning that they should understand any
information that they have been given as this will influence the outcome. Consent should be given
directly to the health professional that is carrying out the procedure, this can be given in a number
of ways, such as;
Written- signing a consent form before the procedure
Non-verbal- a nod or shake of the head can be given by someone who is deaf, this may
happen once the procedure has been translated from speech to sign language.
Verbal- a patient may give consent to confirm that they are willing to undergo a procedure.
Use of independent advocate, family member, medical to assist in achieving informed consent
A patient may be unable to communicate due to a possible mental problem which prevents them
from communicating with others. In this case, the individual will have an advocate to communicate
on their behalf. This may be someone such as a family member or medical professional. Anyone who
acts as an advocate must have the patient’s best interests at heart and must refrain from voicing
their own personal opinion. On the other hand, the patient may be unable to speak in the countries
first language in which they are receiving care (such as English). To resolve this, an interpreter will be
provided.
Situations where informed consent is not possible
A patient may need emergency treatment whilst consented surgery is being carried out. Emergency
treatment may only be carried out if there is a valid medical reason as consent cannot be given by
the patient in need of treatment. An example would be heavy blood loss during a caesarean section.
To amend this, a blood transfusion may be needed as well as treatment to stop the bleeding.
Consent may not be needed in some cases, this may be if the patient needs emergency treatment
due to attempted suicide, through cutting of the wrists, the patient may be unconscious due to a
large amount of blood loss. Treatment given for this will include surgery to repair any damage done
to the nerves and veins. A blood transfusion may also be given to replace any lost blood. The
procedure must be explained once the patient regains consciousness.
An individual may not be capable of giving consent, this may be due to the individual suffering from
dementia or bipolar disorder. These individuals are protected by the Mental Health Act 1983; this
means that the health professional must seek valid consent if the patient has a health condition that
is not related to their mental health condition. The Mental Health Act 1983 also allows health care
professionals to administer medication in alternative ways, this may need to be done if for example,
the individual cannot receive medication orally (tablets) meaning that it may be administered
intravenous.
P5- Explain safe practice in the administration and storage of medication.
Obtaining consent for administration;
Mental capacity and informed consent
For consent to be lawful, it must be given voluntary and independently by the individual receiving
the treatment, this can either be accepting or declining the medication or procedure. The patient
must also be aware of what will happen during the procedure, any risks and benefits involved.
However, the individual must have full mental capacity, meaning that they should understand any
information that they have been given as this will influence the outcome. Consent should be given
directly to the health professional that is carrying out the procedure, this can be given in a number
of ways, such as;
Written- signing a consent form before the procedure
Non-verbal- a nod or shake of the head can be given by someone who is deaf, this may
happen once the procedure has been translated from speech to sign language.
Verbal- a patient may give consent to confirm that they are willing to undergo a procedure.
Use of independent advocate, family member, medical to assist in achieving informed consent
A patient may be unable to communicate due to a possible mental problem which prevents them
from communicating with others. In this case, the individual will have an advocate to communicate
on their behalf. This may be someone such as a family member or medical professional. Anyone who
acts as an advocate must have the patient’s best interests at heart and must refrain from voicing
their own personal opinion. On the other hand, the patient may be unable to speak in the countries
first language in which they are receiving care (such as English). To resolve this, an interpreter will be
provided.
Situations where informed consent is not possible
A patient may need emergency treatment whilst consented surgery is being carried out. Emergency
treatment may only be carried out if there is a valid medical reason as consent cannot be given by
the patient in need of treatment. An example would be heavy blood loss during a caesarean section.
To amend this, a blood transfusion may be needed as well as treatment to stop the bleeding.
Consent may not be needed in some cases, this may be if the patient needs emergency treatment
due to attempted suicide, through cutting of the wrists, the patient may be unconscious due to a
large amount of blood loss. Treatment given for this will include surgery to repair any damage done
to the nerves and veins. A blood transfusion may also be given to replace any lost blood. The
procedure must be explained once the patient regains consciousness.
An individual may not be capable of giving consent, this may be due to the individual suffering from
dementia or bipolar disorder. These individuals are protected by the Mental Health Act 1983; this
means that the health professional must seek valid consent if the patient has a health condition that
is not related to their mental health condition. The Mental Health Act 1983 also allows health care
professionals to administer medication in alternative ways, this may need to be done if for example,
the individual cannot receive medication orally (tablets) meaning that it may be administered
intravenous.
