Medication Management Standards

The Medication Management Standards are developed and approved as outlined in Section 133 of the Health Professions Act (HPA, 2000). Registrants must also be aware of the Pharmacy and Drug Act (2000), the Scheduled Drugs Regulation (Alta Reg 66/2007), and the Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act (2014). The purpose of the medication management standards is to outline the minimum expectations for registrants for medication management. Medication management is a multi-professional, evidenced-based approach to help ensure safe medication practices. Health-care professionals and clients work together to facilitate the safe and effective use of prescription and over-the-counter medications (Accreditation Canada, 2016; Bulechek et al., 2013; Edwards & Axe, 2015).

These standards apply at all times to all registrants regardless of role or practice setting and are specific to medication management. The standards are grounded in the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta’s (CRNA) foundational Practice Standards for Registrants (2023) and the Canadian Nurses Association’s (CNA) Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses (2017a). The directions, concepts, and principles in this document align with other CRNA documents 
including

•  Complementary and Alternative Health Care and Natural Health Products Standards 
  (2022a);
•  Decision-Making Standards for Nurses in the Supervision of Health Care Aides (College 
  of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta, CRNA, & College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses 
  of Alberta, 2010);
•  Documentation Standards (2022b);
•  Guidelines for Medication and Vaccine Injection Safety (Alberta College of Pharmacy, 
  College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta & CRNA, 2018); and
•  Infection Prevention and Control Standards (2022c).