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Understanding Medicines Management for Nursing Students

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Understanding Medicines Management for Nursing Students

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Intermediate level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Understand the legal, ethical, and safety considerations in medicines management.

  • Develop skills for safe medicine administration across different patient populations.

  • Apply evidence-based practices in managing and monitoring the use of medications.

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Recently updated!

June 2026

Assessments

8 assignments

Taught in English

There are 8 modules in this course

This course provides nursing students with essential knowledge in medicines management, including safe administration, legal considerations, adverse effects, and evidence-based practices. Understanding the formulation, routes of administration, and potential adverse effects of medicines is key to maintaining patient safety.

The course helps learners develop the skills needed to safely and efficiently manage medications, ensuring optimal patient outcomes. It emphasizes patient safety and the ethical responsibility involved in medicines management. What sets this course apart is its combination of theory and real-world applications, with practical knowledge that prepares students to handle real-life medication administration scenarios in diverse clinical environments. Designed for nursing students and healthcare professionals, this course assumes a basic healthcare background. It is perfect for individuals looking to advance their understanding of medicines management and enhance patient care. This course is based on the book, Understanding Medicines Management for Nursing Students, by Paul Deslandes, Ben Pitcher, and Simon Young. Copyright Β© 2022 by Sage Publications Limited. All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial technologies or similar technologies. Published by Sage Publications Limited, London. Used by arrangement with Sage Publications Limited.

This module guides learners through the process of locating and interpreting reliable information about medicines using trusted resources like the British National Formulary (BNF) and the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). Learners will develop skills in evidence-based practice, understand key medication safety principles, and learn how to extract essential drug information for clinical decision-making.

What's included

1 video4 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Overviewβ€’1 minute
4 readingsβ€’Total 17 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’4 minutes
  • Drug monographs and treatment summaries in the BNFβ€’5 minutes
  • The Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC or SPC)β€’4 minutes
  • Activities: Brief outline answersβ€’4 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 16 minutes
  • Medicine Information and Managementβ€’16 minutes

This module explores the definitions, mechanisms, and classifications of medicinal products, distinguishing them from supplements and remedies. Learners will investigate how medicines work at the molecular level, understand regulatory requirements, and examine real-world case studies involving patient medication charts.

What's included

1 video8 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Overviewβ€’1 minute
8 readingsβ€’Total 37 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’2 minutes
  • Which of the products that Barrie is taking are medicinal products (medicines)?β€’5 minutes
  • Food supplementsβ€’4 minutes
  • Medicine namesβ€’5 minutes
  • Drugs acting on enzymesβ€’5 minutes
  • Other examplesβ€’1 minute
  • How patients access medicinesβ€’8 minutes
  • Homoeopathic remediesβ€’7 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 16 minutes
  • Fundamentals of Medicinesβ€’16 minutes

This module examines the legal, ethical, and cultural frameworks that guide safe and person-centred medicines management. Learners will explore consent, capacity, prescribing rights, and the principles of medicine storage and administration, with a focus on real-world scenarios and reflective practice. By the end, you will understand how to navigate complex decisions in medicine management within diverse healthcare settings.

What's included

1 video8 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Overviewβ€’1 minute
8 readingsβ€’Total 42 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’2 minutes
  • Obtaining medicinesβ€’5 minutes
  • Healthcare professionals with prescribing rightsβ€’4 minutes
  • Principles of medicines storageβ€’4 minutes
  • Legal, ethical and cultural factors to consider when administering medicinesβ€’5 minutes
  • The Mental Capacity Actβ€’5 minutes
  • Cultural aspectsβ€’10 minutes
  • Activity 3.7 Reflectionβ€’7 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 16 minutes
  • Legal and Ethical Foundations in Medicineβ€’16 minutes

This module introduces the various ways medicines can be formulated and administered, highlighting the advantages and limitations of each route. Learners will gain practical skills in dosage calculation and safe medication handling to ensure effective and safe patient care.

What's included

1 video8 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Overviewβ€’1 minute
8 readingsβ€’Total 40 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’2 minutes
  • Solid oral dose formulationsβ€’5 minutes
  • Liquid oral dose formulationsβ€’6 minutes
  • Non-oral tablet and capsule formulationsβ€’6 minutes
  • Local administration to the skinβ€’5 minutes
  • Non-oral routes for systemic administrationβ€’3 minutes
  • Administering medicines by injectionβ€’6 minutes
  • Inhalationβ€’7 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 16 minutes
  • Medicine Formulation and Administration Essentialsβ€’16 minutes

This module examines the classification and management of adverse drug reactions, including less common types and drug interactions. Learners will explore strategies for minimizing medication risks, the impact of polypharmacy, and the importance of monitoring treatment outcomes for both patient and healthcare professional safety.

What's included

1 video8 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Overviewβ€’1 minute
8 readingsβ€’Total 44 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’3 minutes
  • Classification by Typeβ€’6 minutes
  • Type F and Type G ADRsβ€’7 minutes
  • Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interactionsβ€’4 minutes
  • Shortcomings of the 5 Rsβ€’5 minutes
  • Polypharmacyβ€’6 minutes
  • Monitoring treatment outcomeβ€’5 minutes
  • Medicines safety: Risk to the nurseβ€’8 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 16 minutes
  • Medicine Safety and Adverse Effectsβ€’16 minutes

This module explores safe and effective medicines management for patients at different life stages, from pregnancy through older adulthood. Learners will examine clinical decision-making, patient safety, and factors influencing medication adherence across diverse populations. Real-world case studies and critical thinking activities help apply these concepts in practice.

What's included

1 video8 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Overviewβ€’1 minute
8 readingsβ€’Total 42 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’4 minutes
  • Medicines management in pregnancyβ€’6 minutes
  • Activity 6.3 Reflectionβ€’4 minutes
  • Consent to treatmentβ€’4 minutes
  • Medicines management in adultsβ€’6 minutes
  • Sexβ€’6 minutes
  • Medicines management in older adultsβ€’6 minutes
  • Cognition, dexterity and adherenceβ€’6 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 16 minutes
  • Medicines Management Across the Lifespanβ€’16 minutes

This module explores the broader impact of medicines on society, including medication safety, vaccine hesitancy, drug misuse, and antimicrobial resistance. Learners will examine real-world case studies and strategies for promoting responsible medicine use and public health. The module emphasizes critical thinking about the societal responsibilities of healthcare professionals.

What's included

1 video8 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Overviewβ€’1 minute
8 readingsβ€’Total 40 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’5 minutes
  • Medicines for disease preventionβ€’6 minutes
  • Vaccine hesitancyβ€’4 minutes
  • Misuse of drugs and medicinesβ€’5 minutes
  • Activity 7.2 Critical thinking:β€’4 minutes
  • Activity 7.3 Reflectionβ€’5 minutes
  • Antimicrobial resistanceβ€’6 minutes
  • Managing antimicrobial resistanceβ€’5 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 16 minutes
  • Societal and Ethical Dimensions of Medicine Useβ€’16 minutes

This module guides learners through the process of critically appraising healthcare research, understanding different study designs, and interpreting the reliability of medicines information. Learners will practice applying evidence-based principles to real-world clinical scenarios and learn how to synthesize findings from multiple studies to inform decision-making.

What's included

1 video5 readings1 assignment

1 videoβ€’Total 1 minute
  • Overviewβ€’1 minute
5 readingsβ€’Total 28 minutes
  • Introductionβ€’5 minutes
  • Medicines outcome studies – methodological designβ€’6 minutes
  • Meta-analysisβ€’4 minutes
  • Evaluating studiesβ€’6 minutes
  • Outcomeβ€’7 minutes
1 assignmentβ€’Total 16 minutes
  • Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Research Fundamentalsβ€’16 minutes

Instructor

Sage Publications
28 Coursesβ€’175 learners

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