Medication management

The safe management of medications is an important part of our patient care.

Our caregivers need to know about all the medications you take so they can make the right decisions about your treatment.

There are different types of medications including prescription, over the counter, and herbal and natural medicines.

Medications come in different forms such as tablets, lotions, patches and drops.

What you can do

• Tell us about all the medications you use (including non-prescription medicines).
• Bring your medications in their original containers or an up to date list with you to hospital.
• Let our caregivers know if you experience any new side effects or have had reactions to medication in the past.
• Ask questions about the purpose, safe use and potential side effects of any medication you plan on using.
• Get your care team to explain any changes to your medication and which medicines you should continue using at home.
• Speak up if you are unsure about your medication.

What St John of God Health Care does

• We conduct regular audits on our medication processes.
• We provide ongoing training to caregivers.
• We have policies and guidelines to ensure medications are prepared and given safely.
• We have two caregivers check patient charts, allergy history and identification before administering high risk medications.
• We have a pharmacist review your medications if you are at risk of medication related complications.
• We record all medication errors in our risk reporting system.
• We monitor and investigate medication errors to prevent them from happening in future.