The following legislative changes regarding med tech training were approved in Florida on July 1,2015. Guardian Pharmacy of Southeast Florida will begin offering training once the written rule is published around mid-October.
Changes include:
- The initial med tech training will become six hours (an increase from the current four). The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) did not foresee an allowance of an additional two hours, as they believe a six hour training will need to be done for all med techs. The annual update may still be allowed at two hours (this is still in discussion), and the initial course must be live in-person.
- Training will include return demonstration. The med tech must prove they can perform the function.
- New items allowed for unlicensed staff will include assistance with:
- Taking a properly labeled insulin syringe that is prefilled by a pharmacist or a manufacturer from its place of storage and bringing it to the resident. (It may not be prefilled by a nurse.)
- Assisting a resident in using a nebulizer: removing the cap, opening the unit dose of solution, and pouring the prescribed premeasured dose of medication into the dispensing cup of the nebulizer.
- Using a glucometer to perform blood glucose level checks.
- Putting on and taking off anti-embolism stockings.
- Applying and removing an oxygen cannula, but not with titrating the prescribed oxygen settings. (They can assist with the nasal cannula but not necessarily turning the oxygen on and off nor titrating. This will be determined by the rule.)
- Use of a continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP) but not with titrating the prescribed setting of the device.
- Measuring of vital signs. (Unlicensed staff may record and advise vital signs but may NOT interpret.)
- Use of colostomy bags. (They may empty the bag, in addition to the Foley catheter bags as currently allowed.) The care of the stoma site will be determined by the rule.
These additional services are not to be implemented until up-training occurs. Once the changes are published, Guardian Pharmacy SEFL will notify our facilities. For more information, please contact Assura Chauhan, director of clinical services, at 954-601-2445.