Physiological measurements are used to monitor the reactions of a person. This can be done by observing the person, eg pupil dilation, breathing rate, pulse rate, skin colour, perspiration, blood sugar levels (pre/post insulin levels).

Monitoring/evaluation/reviewing process

You must always remember that like all aspects of care and support, medication must be monitored and reviewed to make sure that it is still required and meeting the needs of the supported person. Medication should only be given for as long as it is required. Some medication has a maximum recommended timescale for administration, beyond which, the medication could become harmful to the supported person. Also, if someone is taking medication that is not required, they could build up a tolerance to the medication making it less effective if it is required.

If you are administering medication, you have a duty of care to make sure that you are not inadvertently harming the supported person by giving medication that is not required. Therefore, you should always be checking the information on the MAR chart to ensure that any maximum time has not been exceeded. Also, if you feel that the supported person may no longer need the medication, you should seek advice and guidance on this.

Activity 5

When was the last time that you contributed to a review of medication? Think about how often this done by you or others involved in the care of the supported person. Does your organisation have a procedure for the ongoing monitoring of medication?

When reviewing a supported person’s medication, you might find it helpful to consider the points in the box below.

  • Is medication still required?
  • Has maximum recommended period of taking the medication been exceeded?
  • Is a pain assessment required, or has one been carried out recently?
  • Is an assessment (such as an ‘ABC chart’) regarding concerns about the behaviour of the supported person required, or has one been carried out recently?