Medicine management: delegation, support and supervision

This article explores the ways in which healthcare assistants (HCAs) and assistant practitioners (APs) must delegate, support and supervise the process of administering medicines. The role the HCA and AP play in accepting delegated duties has been considered, and the key notion of competence has been outlined; both notions are discussed in relation to the provison of safe, effective patient-centred care. The discussion also provides readers with some tips and hints regarding situations where they may need to assertively say ‘no’.