Medications make a significant contribution to people's health and longevity. Our Members and their loved ones often ask care providers to assist them with their medications. But do you know what assistance you can and can't give?

Let us go back a step before answering what you can and cannot assist with. You need to know if you are medication verified at FGF or not. Email [email protected] to confirm your medication verification status. Once known, read on to see what you can and can't do.

Not verified

If you are not a verified medication Helper, it is your responsibility to:

• Recognize and raise matters of when and where a medication problem exists, for example, when you find discarded tablets or capsules in a Member’s home.
• Identify and note factors that contribute to medication problems such as writing in your check-out notes about unsafe storage of medicines in a Member’s home.
• Discuss medication concerns you have with your Members.
• And inform the Care Manager of unsafe medication practices you observe in a Member’s home.

Assistance outside these parameters is a breach of FGF policy and may breach your state or territory's medication legislation. Breaches include prompting a Member to take their medication or giving medications to a Member, whether prescribed or over-the-counter.

If a Member or a member of their family asks you to assist with any medications:

• Politely decline
• Explain you do not have the approval to assist
• Ask if they would like help organized and if so, contact the Member's Care Manager
• Finally, make a note when you check-out.

Verified