N.J. Admin. Code § 10:37A-6.4 - Medication

(a) Each consumer taking prescribed or over-the-counter medication shall self-administer his or her own medication to the extent possible.

1. Self-administration of medication means the consumer removes the individual dose of medication from a container provided by a pharmacy, sample medication container provided by the prescriber, or a container of non-prescription medication, and consumes the medication, places it into another container for consumption at a later time, applies the medication externally, or injects him- or herself with the medication.

2. Qualified PA staff (including those qualified by training to administer diabetes testing and medications) may assist the consumer in self-administering the medication or by coaching or monitoring the consumer while he or she is self-administering the medication as part of the individualized rehabilitation plan.

3. If psychotropic medication or controlled substances are included in the individualized rehabilitation plan, arrangements appropriate to the consumer's ability to self-administer such medications shall be provided or arranged as appropriate by any engaged service provider, including procedures for location, storage, and retrieval of the medications.

(b) If the consumer is not capable of taking his or her own medication independently, the PA staff shall verbally assist and/or supervise the self-administration of the medication as prescribed. If the consumer is not physically capable of self-administration of medication with verbal assistance, appropriately licensed or certified staff must administer medication by removing the individual dose of medication from the original container and either giving it to the consumer to consume, placing it in another container for the consumer to consume at a later time, applying the medication externally, or administering an injection of the medication.

(c) Pursuant to the PA policy, an ongoing written record shall be maintained of all medication administration events and self-administration events in which PA staff verbally assisted the consumer.

(d) Medications of consumers who self-administer their medications and who live in a setting with other consumers may be stored in the consumer's unit if the consumer and PA take reasonable precautions to prohibit access to the medications by other consumers. For consumers who require administration of medication or verbal assistance in self-administering medication, the PA staff shall store all prescription and non-prescription medication in a safe and organized manner as follows:

1. Both prescription and non-prescription medications shall be kept locked at all times when a staff member is not in the room. The medications shall be kept locked in a closet, cabinet, drawer, adequately secured box, or in a room exclusively dedicated for this purpose.

2. Medications that require refrigeration shall be maintained in a secure manner (for example, by using locked boxes or a locked refrigerator) and at a temperature required by the manufacturer of the medication.

3. The medications specific to each consumer shall be kept in a separate bag, box, container, or drawer clearly labeled with the consumer's name. The newly received supply of each medication for a consumer shall be kept in a separate bag, box, container, or drawer clearly labeled for newly received medications for the particular consumer until the currently used supply of the particular medication is finished.

4. A discontinued medication for a consumer shall be removed from the supply as soon as it is discontinued and placed within a separate bag, box, container, or drawer clearly labeled for medications no longer in use.

5. The keys to stored medications shall not be accessible to consumers or staff who do not assist the consumer with medications.

6. In supervised residences and shared supportive housing residences, no stock supply of prescription medications or syringes shall be stored in the consumer's room or dwelling unit with the exception of insulin syringes.

7. PA staff shall destroy medications that are outdated or discontinued in accordance with established procedures.

(e) A list of all prescribed medications including the name, purpose, dosage, self-administration frequency, and date prescribed for each medication shall be entered into the consumer's clinical record, as per PA policy.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 10:37A-6.4

Adopted by 48 N.J.R. 1636(a), effective 8/15/2016