Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2006

Storage and record keeping - Aged Care Services

Overview

The 2006 Regulations specify the storage and recording requirements for Schedule 4, Schedule 8 and Schedule 9 medicines that apply to all approved providers of aged care services where there is a resident receiving high-level residential care and the resident has been supplied with those medicines on prescription. This compares with the 1995 Regulations where the only aged care facilities for which storage and recording requirements were specified were those formerly known as “nursing homes”. 

Storage requirements for approved providers of residential aged care services

The 2006 Regulations specify that aged care services where there is a resident receiving high-level residential care:

• must store Schedule 4 medications in a lockable storage facility.

• must store Schedule 8 and 9 medicines in a lockable room or a lockable storage facility which is firmly affixed to the floor or wall.

• ensure that all Schedule 4, 8 and 9 medications are locked away except when they need to be administered.

The Regulations enable approved providers to maintain a single storage system for Schedule 4, 8 and 9 medicines for all residents receiving these medications.  Approved providers are not obliged to maintain separate storage facilities for high care residents and other residents.

The above storage requirements apply to Schedule 4, 8 and 9 medicines supplied on prescription. If the aged care service maintains an imprest stock of medicines, which may only be obtained via a health services permit (HSP) issued by the Department of Health (the Department), then the Schedule 8 or 9 stocks must be stored in a drug cabinet which must comply with the security criteria specified in Regulations.

Many residential aged care services may choose to store the Schedule 8 and 9 medications in a drug cabinet, as required for nursing homes in the 1995 Regulations, or adopt other more secure systems or policies.  The 2006 Regulations do not preclude this. Nevertheless in line with the 1995 Regulations, the 2006 Regulations enable the Secretary of the Department to require more secure storage, should this become necessary.

An approved provider must immediately notify the Department or a member of the Victoria Police of the theft or loss of any medicines stored there.

Record keeping requirements for approved providers of residential aged care services

Approved providers are required to maintain and be able to retrieve accurate and complete transaction records for Schedule 4, 8 and 9 medicines, and investigate and report on discrepancies and theft.

 Approved providers of aged care services are not required to maintain a drug register, which requires a balance of stock on hand to be maintained, for Schedule 8 and Schedule 9 medicines in residential aged care services in certain limited circumstances, namely when:

• the medicines are supplied on prescription for a specific person;
• the medications are supplied in tamper evident dose administration containers, and
• the containers are labelled with administration times.

However a drug register is still required to record transactions of Schedule 8 or 9 medicines:

• supplied in liquid form, or when supplied in other than tamper-evident dose administration containers.
• held as imprest stock (which may only be held if the approved provider holds a HSP issued by the Department).

The approved provider of the residential aged care service must:

• keep records of medication administration.
• investigate discrepancies in records and notify the Secretary of the Department of unresolved discrepancies.
• notify the Secretary of the Department of any loss, destruction or theft of records relating to Schedule 8 or 9 medicines.

The 2006 Regulations do not preclude any approved provider of a residential aged care service from maintaining a drug register and stock checking procedures for all Schedule 8 and 9 medicines, should they choose to do so.

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