Administering medication and treatments
Effective Oct 27, 2025Ark. R. 2025-27 (eff. October 27, 2025).Arkansas Code § 20-76-201; Arkansas Code § 25-10-129
(a)
- (1) Doses of medication shall be administered by the same staff member who prepared them for administration.
- (2) Preparation shall occur no earlier than one (1) hour prior to administration; preparation of doses for more than one (1) scheduled administration shall not be permitted.
- (3) Each physician-ordered treatment or medication dose administered or supervised shall be properly recorded by initialing on the resident’s medication administration record as the medication is administered or treatment record as treatment is rendered.
- (4) Recording medication administration shall include medication name, dosage, mode of administration, date, time, and the signature of the individual administering or supervising the taking of the medication.
- (5) If the ordered dosage is to be given on a varying schedule, such as, “take two (2) tablets the first day and one (1) tablet every other day by mouth with noon meal”, the number of tablets shall also be recorded.
- (6) The treatment record shall document the type of treatment, date and time of treatment, and signature of the individual administering treatment.
- (b) Medications shall be administered only by staff members legally authorized to administer the medication or medications.
(c)
- (1) When residents leave the psychiatric residential treatment facility for an extended period of time, the proper amount of medications, along with dosage, mode, date, and time of administration, shall be given to a responsible person who will be in charge of the resident during his or her absence from the psychiatric residential treatment facility; these details shall be properly documented in the medication administration record.
- (2) In these instances, the amount of medication needed for the designated period of time may be transferred to a prescription vial or bottle that is properly labeled.