Medicines Management

Good medicines management is an important part of most nursing and midwifery practice. It includes the administration of medicines, prescribing and supporting people to take their medicines correctly. Use this guide to find information resources related to medicines optimisation including books, reports and journal articles.

• Key Resources
• Books
• Journals
• Explore

Key Resources Books Journals Explore

Key Resources

Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Royal College of Nursing (2019) Professional guidance on the administration of medicines in healthcare settings. RPS: London.

• View PDF

Royal College of Nursing and Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2020) Guidance on prescribing, dispensing, supplying and administration of medicines: March 2020: position statement. London: RCN.

• View page

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2022) Professional guidance: expanding prescribing scope of practice. London: RPS.

• View page

Royal College of Nursing (2020) Medicines management: an overview for nursing. London: RCN.

• View page

RCN Clinical topic: Medicines management

• View page

BNF online

• BNF online
• BNF and BNFC App (iOS and Android)

Northern Ireland Department of Health (2015) Medicines optimisation quality framework. Belfast: DH. 

• Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.
  View page

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2018) Professional guidance on the safe and secure handling of medicines (SSHM). London: RPS.

• View page

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2021) A competency framework for all prescribers. London: RPS.

• View page

Royal Pharmaceutical Society (2013) Medicines optimisation helping patients to make the most of medicines. Good practice guidance for healthcare professionals in England. London: RPS. 

• View PDF

Scottish Executive Health Department (2006) Non medical prescribing in Scotland: guidance for nurse independent prescribers and for community practitioner nurse prescribers in Scotland. A guide for implementation. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.

• Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.
  View page

Scottish Government Polypharmacy Model of Care Group (2018) Polypharmacy guidance, realistic prescribing (3rd ed.). Scottish Government. Scottish Government.

• Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.
  View PDF

Healthcare Improvement Scotland: Scottish Patient Safety Programme: Medicines 

• Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.
  View page

All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) Medicines management 

• Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.
  View page

NHS Wales (2010) Health in Wales - medicines management. 

• Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.
  View page

Department of Health and University of Leeds (2016) Administration of medicines in care homes (with nursing) for older people by care assistants. Evidence-based guidance for care home providers. London: DH.

• Please check that guidance is applicable for your country.
  View page

Books

Beckwith S and Franklin P (2011) Oxford handbook of prescribing for nurses and allied health professionals. 2nd edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Borrow from RCN Library services

Blaber A, Morris H and Gorman J (2020) Independent prescribing for district nurses. Bridgwater: Class Publishing.

• View this eBook
• Borrow from RCN Library services

Boyd C (2022) Medicine management skills for nurses. 2nd edn. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

• View this eBook
• Borrow from RCN Library services

Davidson N (2020) Numeracy and clinical calculations for nurses. 2nd edn. Banbury: Lantern.

• Borrow from RCN Library services

Deslandes P, Young S and Pitcher B (2020) Rapid medicines management for healthcare professionals. Newark: Wiley. 

• Borrow from RCN Library services
• View this eBook

Deslands P, Pitcher B and Young S (2022) Understanding medicines management for nursing students. London: Learning Matters.

• Borrow from RCN Library services

Lapham R (2021) Drug calculations for nurses: a step-by-step approach. 5th edn. London: Routledge. 

• Borrow from RCN Library services
• View this eBook

Rogers K and Scott W (2022) Nurses! Test yourself in essential calculation skills. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education. 

• View this eBook

Scholefield D and Sebti A (2021) Pharmacology case studies for nurse prescribers. Keswick: M&K Update.   

• Borrow from RCN Library services
• View this eBook

Nuttall D and Rutt-Howard J (editors) (2019) Textbook of non-medical prescribing. 3rd edn. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

• Borrow from RCN Library services

Waterfield J and Rivers P (2012) Fundamental aspects of medicines. London: Quay Books.

• Borrow from RCN Library services

Book subject searches

Use these links to see details of books the RCN libraries hold on each topic.

• Medicines optimisation/medicines management

Journal articles

Use these links for details of journal articles on each topic.

• Medicines optimisation/medicines management

Journals

Journals of interest for medicines optimisation. Use these links to see details of availability.

• Nurse prescribing

Explore

RCN Clinical topic: Medicine management: medicine supply and administration

• View page

NHS England: Medicines optimisation dashboard

• Please check that guidance is applicable for your country
  View page

Royal Pharmaceutical Society: Resources

• A range of professional, legal, ethical and good practice guidance materials to support day to day practice, including quick reference guides and professional standards. Search this online resource library.
  View page

SPS: Specialist Pharmacy Service

• The NHS Specialist Pharmacy Service supports medicines optimisation across the NHS.
  View page