Having Medication Forms Pre-Signed?

[Michelle M]

Hi everyone

I am due my Ofsted Inspection tomorrow or Friday, my support childminder has been round to check that everything is in place, all paperwork up-to-date etc, anyway she mentioned to me that on her last inspection, Ofsted told her that she should have her Short term and long term medication forms pre-signed, ready for giving medication if and when it will be necessary, this is not something I have been told on my ICP and DHC courses. I have been told that I will need to complete these forms and only on prescribed medication, and will also have to have written permission from the parents. I am a little bit confused as to what is the correct procedure.

:confused:

[sarah707]

She is maybe thinking about ongoing medication like an inhaler which a child will need every day or application of cream for eczema. Then I would have a pre-signed form and get parents to sign daily to confirm they know what I have done and when.

Similarly when child arrives with short-term medication like some antibiotics, I would ask parents to sign every morning to say I could give the meds during the day, then again at night to confirm I had given them.

As far as paediatric paracetamol etc is concerned, I have never had a form saying I can give this as needed or anything like that. I think that is way too presumptious. If I felt a child needed it I would ring parents to collect and ask permission at the time if I could give a dose to bring down the fever or whatever I felt it was needed for.

Good luck with the inspection! Hope this helps! :D

[miffy]

I'm confused too - if the forms are pre-signed (and i'm not sure what you mean by short term and long term) then does this mean you can decide what medicine to give when and how much to give????

It doesn't make sense to me.

As far as I'm concerned the parent brings the medicine tells you what dose is needed when - you record this both you and parent sign the record (I also record when the last dose was given and by whom) then at the agreed time you give the child the medicine and record that you have done so - parent signs to say they've been informed when they pick the child up.

HTH

miffy xx

[Michelle M]

Thank you for replying, I said that to her and she said its definitly both forms needing to be presigned and then getting permission when the medication is needed and then the parents initialling at the end of the day.

Hope that makes sense:)

[Michelle M]

I'm confused too - if the forms are pre-signed (and i'm not sure what you mean by short term and long term) then does this mean you can decide what medicine to give when and how much to give????

It doesn't make sense to me.

As far as I'm concerned the parent brings the medicine tells you what dose is needed when - you record this both you and parent sign the record (I also record when the last dose was given and by whom) then at the agreed time you give the child the medicine and record that you have done so - parent signs to say they've been informed when they pick the child up.

HTH

miffy xx


That’s what I am doing and am not happy with asking parents to sign in advance. Support Childminder said that the parents are giving permission is its pre-signed to give the medication well to me they are signing on the actual day they are bringing me the medication. I said well the parents have signed the front of my medication book to say they give me permission to get emergency treatment, is that what is meant and she said no. When I say long and short term, sorry me being lazy I mean "Permission to administer medicine or treatment over an extended period of time or continuous treatment" and "Permission to administer short course of medication or treatment daily" I got my medication book out and she pointed out that in the box that says Parent signature that should alread have a signature in it, even if the child is not taking medication!

[sarah707]

I disagree with her...

[miffy]

From what you've said I assume you're using the ncma book?

I only have an old style one and that does ask for parents to sign for........an extended period of time or continuous treatment - like Sarah said I can see the point of that when it's something like asthma but my book didn't have anything for parents to pre-sign for short course or daily treatment but that may have changed.

I think I would carry on with what you're doing.

Miffy xx

[Michelle M]

So did I and I told her so :laughing: I also mentoned it to my hubby and he agrees with me and said he wouldnt pre sign a form for our daughters.

We are all told something different it annoys me. She was also told by her Network Co-ordinator that she can give medication as long as its from the pharmacy and the parents have put the childs name, and dosage on the bottle, wereas I was told and its drummed into us that it has to be prescribed medication.

[miffy]

But I think this is partly due to EYFS where the intention is for us to administer prescribed medicines only so you have been told this - maybe she hasn't

miffy xx

[sarah707]

I was told and its drummed into us that it has to be prescribed medication.

This will be the case under eyfs ... although we are hoping for common sense to prevail and this bit to be changed :D