P5: Explain safe practice in the administration and storage of medicines.
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Unit 41 P5 Safe practice in medication Megan Scully
P5: Explain safe practice in the administration and storage of medicines.
Obtaining consent for administration
Mental capacity and informed consent
In order for consent to be lawful, it must be provided voluntarily (the choice to either agree or not
agree to a procedure or treatment must be made by the individual receiving the treatment or
procedure with no influence from another) and fully informed (the individual must completely
understand what is involved in the procedure or treatment, including all risks and benefits, and any
other alternatives that may be available). The individual who provides the consent must be mentally
competent (the individual must have the capacity to provide consent. This means they must be
mentally able to understand the information they are provided, in order to make an informed
choice) and able to make their own decision.
Methods in which consent can be provided, which are:
Written, for example when a patient signs a form of consent prior to an operation.
Verbal, for example if the patient verbally states that they are willing to undergo health
checks such as fitting a cannula, or receiving any personal care.
Another way that consent can be given non-verbally could be through body language, as long as the
individual understands what it is. This could be a deaf individual who has had a procedure (a flu
vaccination) interpreted to them through British Sign Language (BSL). The individual could then nod
to agree to the procedure.
Consent to a procedure or treatment should be provided directly to the professional providing the
treatment such as;
A surgeon preparing and performing an operation.
A nurse fitting a cannula.
A general practitioner performing a flu vaccination.
Advocacy to assist in achieving informed consent
Advocacy is important in order to promote the rights and the best interests of the individual who
requires the advocate. This could be due to the individual being unable to speak English (if attending
medical services in a location in which English is the primary language). This could also be if the
individual does not have the mental capacity to provide consent, therefor they require an advocate
to make decisions based on their best interests, this could be an immediate family member or a
medical professional.
Situations where informed consent is not possible
There are occasionally exceptions in which consent is not required. This could be for example if;
The patient necessitates emergency treatment in order to prevent death, but the patient is
incapacitated. This could be a patient who has, for example, attempted suicide through the
cutting of the wrists, this individual may be unconscious from blood loss and emergency
services will need to stop the bleed and surgery to repair possible tendon or nerve damage,
with the possibility of a blood transfusion through an intravenous if a large amount of blood
is lost. Once the patient has gained consciousness the procedure must be fully explained.
The patient has a serious mental health disorder, for example, bipolar disorder or dementia,
meaning they lack the capacity to give permission on their treatment. This is covered under
The Mental Health Act 1983. If the patient has a condition unrelated to their mental health
issue, the health care professional must acquire consent. For example, a patient with
dementia who is non-compliant with medication, due to the mental condition, the patient is
not mentally able to rationalise this decision, and so under The Mental Health Act 1983 it
may be possible to provide the medication through a different route such as intravenous.
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