Medicines Management

Good medicines management is an important part of most nursing and midwifery practice. It includes the administration of medicines, prescribing and supporting people to take their medicines correctly. Use this guide to find information resources related to medicines optimisation including books, reports and journal articles.

• Key Resources
• Books
• Journals
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Key Resources Books Journals Explore

Key Resources

Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Royal College of Nursing (2019) Professional guidance on the administration of medicines in healthcare settings. RPS: London.

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Royal College of Nursing and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2020) Guidance on prescribing, dispensing, supplying and administration of medicines: March 2020: position statement. London: RCN.

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Royal College of Nursing (2020) Medicines management: an overview for nursing. London: RCN.

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RCN Clinical topic: Medicines management

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BNF online

• BNF online
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Northern Ireland Department of Health (2015) Medicines optimisation quality framework. Belfast: DH. 

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Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2018) Professional guidance on the safe and secure handling of medicines (SSHM). London: RPS.

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Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2016) A competency framework for all prescribers. London: RPS.

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Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2013) Medicines optimisation helping patients to make the most of medicines. Good practice guidance for healthcare professionals in England. London: RPS. 

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Scottish Executive Health Department (2006) Non medical prescribing in Scotland: guidance for nurse independent prescribers and for community practitioner nurse prescribers in Scotland. A guide for implementation. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.

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Scottish Government Polypharmacy Model of Care Group (2018) Polypharmacy guidance, realistic prescribing (3rd ed.). Scottish Government. Scottish Government.

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Healthcare Improvement Scotland: Scottish Patient Safety Programme: Medicines 

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All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) Medicines management 

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NHS Wales (2010) Health in Wales - medicines management. 

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Department of Health and University of Leeds (2016) Administration of medicines in care homes (with nursing) for older people by care assistants. Evidence-based guidance for care home providers. London: DH.

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Books

Beckwith S and Franklin P (2011) Oxford handbook of prescribing for nurses and allied health professionals. 2nd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Boyd C (2013) Student survival skills: medicine management skills for nurses. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.

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Davidson N (2020) Numeracy and clinical calculations for nurses. 2nd edn. Banbury: Lantern.

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Gatford J and Phillips N (2016) Nursing calculations. Edinburgh: Elsevier.

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Harris N and Shearer D (2013) Nurses! Test yourself in non-medical prescribing. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.

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Lapham R (2015) Drug calculations for nurses: a step by step approach. London: CRC Press.

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Nuttall D and Rutt-Howard J (editors) (2019) Textbook of non-medical prescribing. 3rd edn. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

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Waterfield J and Rivers P (2012) Fundamental aspects of medicines. London: Quay Books.

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Book subject searches

Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.

• Medicines optimisation/medicines management

Journal articles

Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

• Medicines optimisation/medicines management

Journals

Journals of interest for medicines optimisation. Use these links to see details of availability.

• Nurse prescribing

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RCN Clinical topic: Medicine management: medicine supply and administration

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NHS England: Medicines optimisation dashboard

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Royal Pharmaceutical Society: Resources

• A range of professional, legal, ethical and good practice guidance materials to support day to day practice, including quick reference guides and professional standards. Search this online resource library.
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SPS: Specialist Pharmacy Service

• The NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service supports medicines optimisation across the NHS.
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