Purpose

This article series aims to outline principles for consideration when implementing self-administration schemes and provide examples of care pathways where self-administration has been shown to be beneficial.

About self-administration

Self-administration of medicines (SAM) is a multi-disciplinary process designed to give individuals the opportunity to continue to take their own medication whilst in managed healthcare or care setting or at home. It provides knowledge to individuals about their medicines.
The principles within this article series can be applied to inpatient care settings, including rehabilitation or community hospitals and services that provide out-of-hospital care to individuals including within their usual place of residence.

Where possible and as long as it is safe, individuals should be encouraged to continue to self-administer their own medicines whether they are in a managed healthcare or care settings or at home.

Benefits to individuals

Self-administration schemes can help to:

• provide patient-centred care and improve satisfaction.
• empower individuals who are already confident in taking their own medication to continue to do so, if appropriate to maintain competence and confidence;
• encourage independence and self-care in a safe environment whilst minimising the risk of incorrect administration;
• improve an individual’s knowledge of their medication, including any new medications, to increase their concordance with medication regimes and reduce future medication related admissions;
• prepare individuals and carers for discharge, establishing any support systems which will be required by the individual after discharge;
• to prevent patients from becoming de-skilled in medicines management and/ or fearful of managing their medicines post-discharge;
• when being cared for at home reduces need for unnecessary visits if individual/their carer can undertake SAM

Examples in practice

Self-administration schemes have been studied and found to be beneficial in several care settings and in individuals with specific clinical diagnoses.

These include, but are not limited to:

Care settings:

• Physical rehabilitation units
• Psychiatric rehabilitation units
• Maternity and post-natal units
• Orthopaedic surgical units

Clinical conditions:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Type 1 diabetes/Type 2 diabetes requiring insulin therapy

Update history