There are many people involved in the care of residents in care homes and several will have direct input in managing medicines. These include:

• Community pharmacists
• Pharmacy technicians
• Care home pharmacists
• Care home managers
• Carers
• Nurses: practice, district, community, specialist (e.g. diabetic nurses)
• Doctors
• GP practice pharmacists
• Occupational therapists
• Speech and language therapists
• Physiotherapists
• Relatives.

For care home staff and nurses, general responsibilities surrounding medicines are very similar, with both being responsible for administering, ordering and making sure the correct medicines have arrived at the home. Generally, nurses are responsible for the disposal of waste medicines in a nursing home (via a contractor), whereas in a residential home without nursing, a member of the care home staff would return the medicines to the supplying pharmacy. 

Nurses and members of the care home staff are responsible for assessing residents and getting further advice from colleagues. If they come across a problem with a medicine, nurses are likely to ask the GP or pharmacy, nurse manager or home manager. There is an opportunity here for you to engage with care home staff and nurses to allow them to understand the role of the pharmacy team and how a pharmacist or pharmacy technician can help with medicines issues, as well as how they can contact you.