(accessed July 2020).13 Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018a). The Code Professional Standards of Practice and Behaviour for Nurses, Midwives and Nursing Associates. www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/nmc‐publications/nmc‐code.pdf (accessed June 2020).
14 Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018b). Future Nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards‐of‐proficiency/nurses/future‐nurse‐proficiencies.pdf (accessed July 2020).
15 Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018c). Standards of Proficiency for Nursing Associates. www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/education‐standards/nursing‐associates‐proficiency‐standards.pdf (accessed September 2020).
16 Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018d). Standards for Pre‐registration Nursing Associate Programmes? www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/standards‐of‐proficiency/standards‐for‐pre‐registration‐nursing‐associate‐programmes/nursing‐associates‐programme‐standards.pdf (accessed September 2020).
17 Royal College of Nursing and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2019). Professional Guidance on the Administration of Medicines in Healthcare Settings. London: RCN and RPS. www.rpharms.com/Portals/0/RPS%20document%20library/Open%20access/Professional%20standards/SSHM%20and%20Admin/Admin%20of%20Meds%20prof%20guidance.pdf?ver=2019‐01‐23‐145026‐567 (accessed September 2020).
18 Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2013). Medicines Optimisation: Helping Patients to Make the Most of Medicines. https://www.rpharms.com/Portals/0/RPS%20document%20library/Open%20access/Policy/helping‐patients‐make‐the‐most‐of‐their‐medicines.pdf (accessed April 2021).
19 Tse, Y., Vasey, N., Dua, D. et al. (2019). The KidzMed project: Teaching children to swallow tablet medication. Archives of Disease in Childhood 105: 1105–1107.
20 World Health Organization (2009). Pharmacological Treatment of Mental Health Disorders in Primary Health Care. Geneva: WHO.
Further Resources
EasyHealth (www.easyhealth.org.uk): A resource with over 500 health leaflets that include pictures and very simple text. EasyHealth’s information is accessible to those with low literacy levels, which may include people with learning disabilities.
British Pharmacological Society (www.bps.ac.uk): The BPS, a charity, exists to promote and advance pharmacology in all its forms
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (www.nice.org.uk): NICE provides national guidance and advice to improve health and social care. The role of NICE is to improve outcomes for people using the NHS and other public health and social care services.
Royal College of Nursing (www.rcn.org.uk/clinical‐topics/medicines‐management): Medicines management. A resource providing guidance and clinical support for nurses and other healthcare professionals on medicines matters.
Royal Pharmaceutical Society (www.rpharms.com): The RPS gives pharmacy a clear, strong voice in all healthcare discussions and decisions across Britain. They also publish the British National Formulary Child.
Street Games (https://network.streetgames.org/our‐work‐changing‐lives‐health/youth‐social‐prescribing): Youth Social Prescribing. Learn more about social prescribing, the work of the Social Prescribing Youth Network and Street Games’ involvement within it, by accessing the various resources.
Multiple Choice Questions
1 The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s purpose is to:Provide government with the details of those nurses and nursing associates who have been found guilty of misconductInform nurse managers how they are to determine patient dependencyPromote and uphold the highest professional standards in nursing and midwifery to protect the public and inspire confidence in the professionsAll of the above
2 To help patients make decisions about medicines:Provide time for them to ask questionsOffer them relevant information which is easy to understand and avoid the use of jargonProvide information that is structured and tailor this to the needs of the individual patient.All of the above
3 Medicines optimisation is generally associated with:The legal regulations in place to safely administer medicinesA more people‐centred approach to the use of medicine as part of a person’s careAnother phrase for capacityIs only ever used when the patient lacks capacity
4 Pharmacokinetics is associated with:The ability to safely calculate a drug doseThe biology of home remediesWhat the body does to a drug, the movement of drugs into, through and out of the bodyHow enzymes are metabolised in plantsInfusion pumps and equipment used to administer drugs
5 Pharmacodynamics is associated with:How toxins have effects on the bodyHow drugs have effects on the bodyThe prescribers prescribing skillsThe nurse’s competence in the administration of medicines
6 Adherence refers to:Specific patient behavioursThe study of power differentialsThe extent to which the patient’s behaviour matches agreed recommendations from the prescriberThe extent to which the patient’s behaviour matches the prescriber’s recommendation
7 The purpose of a medicine is to:Cause a build of toxins in the blood streamPrevent, alleviate or cure a symptom, disorder or disease stateCause a negative impact on a person’s health and well‐beingNone of the above
8 A patient’s/family’s beliefs and preferences about medication:May affect medication adherenceShould be moderated during medicines managementIs only appropriate in the adult patientWill not impact on medication adherence
9 Non‐adherence can result in:Unnecessary health costs and unnecessary investigationsChanges to routines which lead to increased safety risks Enhanced care provisionA better use of resources
10 The term ‘compliance’:Is a term with positive connotationsCan also infer ‘nurse knows best’Is never used in the care of CYPIs the same as concordance
11 Summaries of Product Characteristics (SPC) are:Held at all general practicesDo not apply to CYPIs a description of a medicinal product’s properties and
