Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 22, § 76347 - Nursing Services-Administration of Medications and Treatments

(a) Medications or treatments shall not be given except on the order of a person lawfully authorized to give such an order.

(b) Medications and treatments shall be administered as prescribed and shall be recorded in client records as given. Recording shall include the name and title of the person administering the medication or treatment and date, time and dosage of the medication administered. Initials may be used provided that the signature of the person administering medications or treatments is also recorded on the medication or treatment record.

(c) Preparation of dosages for more than one scheduled administration time shall not be permitted.

(d) Persons administering medications shall carry each client's medication cards and shall confirm each client's identity prior to the administration of any medication.

(e) Medications shall be administered within two hours after dosages are prepared and shall be administered by the same person who prepared the dosages for administration. Dosages shall be administered within one hour of the prescribed time unless otherwise indicated by the prescriber.

(f) "Stat" orders shall be administered as required in Section 76389(a) (1)(A).

(g) All telephone orders for medications and treatments shall only be received by a registered nurse, licensed vocational nurse, psychiatric technician or pharmacist and any other persons lawfully authorized to receive such orders in their specialty areas. Such orders shall be recorded immediately in the client's record and shall be signed by the prescriber within 48 hours.

(h) Drugs may be administered in the absence of a specific duration of therapy in a physician's new drug order, if the facility applies its stop order policy for such drugs. The prescriber shall be contacted prior to discontinuing therapy as established by stop order policy.

(i) All medications shall be administered only by licensed medical or licensed nursing personnel with the following exceptions:

(1) Students in the healing arts professions shall be allowed to administer medications and treatments only when the administration of the medications and treatments is incidental to their course of study as approved by the professional board or organization legally authorized to give such approval.

(2) Unlicensed persons may administer, under the direct supervision of licensed nursing or licensed medical personnel, during or after the completion of training and demonstrated evidence of competency, only the following medications and treatments:

(A) Medicinal shampoos and baths.

(B) Laxative suppositories and enemas.

(C) Nonlegend topical ointments, creams, lotions and solutions when applied to intact skin surfaces.

(3) Unlicensed persons shall not administer any medication associated with treatment of the eyes, ears, nose or genitourinary tract.

(j) No medication shall be administered to or used by any client other than the client for whom the medication was issued or prescribed.

Notes

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 22, § 76347

Note: Authority cited: Section 208(a), Health and Safety Code. Reference: Sections 1276 and 1277, Health and Safety Code.