When you are in a resident's medication list you will see a list of drugs.
Scan the barcoded dispensing label on the medication box to open the administration screen as you normally would when administering medications. This screen will appear.
Check the drug, dosage and other information is correct. Once you have done this select “add to pot” This screen will now appear for a witness.
Click the drop down where it states, “none selected” and get the witness to find their name from the list.
Once the witness has selected their name, they will need to input their pin number used for Atlas then press witness.
This will the bring you back to the medications list for the resident where you can see the rest of the medications waiting to be administered.
Scan all other remaining medications barcodes shown in patients medication until all required medications have gone from red/white to yellow then click confirm pot at the top of the screen. once you have selected confirm pot this will take you to confirm the pot screen where you will follow the administration process to complete the medication administration.
It is still a legal requirement to maintain a paper Controlled Drug book.
The witness feature on the handset does not override this legality
It is not mandatory, but good practice to have a second signature of a witness present while administering controlled drugs (CDs). Atlas does allow staff to sign as self-witness if this is an option for the care home.
Statement from CQC:
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not require a signature of a witness to be present when administering controlled drugs (CDs). However, it is recommended to have a witness sign the CD register to ensure accuracy and accountability. This practice is not mandated by CQC guidelines but is considered a good practice to prevent errors and ensure proper documentation.