MED e-care is excited to announce the arrival of our new PRN Protocol feature.

A PRN Protocol is a set of instructions and information that a nurse or carer must consult in order to safely administer a PRN medication.

We are making it easier to add, view and periodically review PRN Protocols for your resident's PRN medications. This feature is available for all our e-MAR users for free.

To get you started, we have set up a template of the most commonly required information on a PRN Protocol. Simply add the details for a PRN to start using it. Add a new PRN Protocol

Reason for administration
Dose
Minimum time interval between doses
Maximum dose in 24 hours
Special instructions
Expected outcome
Side effects
When to refer to prescriber
Additional comments/information

If these do not meet your specific requirements, a facility administrator with access to the settings may set up a new template to be used for all your residents/clients. Set up PRN Protocol Template

Quick Links

What does the PRN Protocol look like in the MAR

Add a new PRN Protocol

View an existing PRN Protocols

Review A PRN Protocol

Delete a PRN Protocol

Set up a PRN Protocol Template

Whats next

Other Updates

What does the PRN Protocol look like in the MAR

Medication Name - Shows the medication associated with the Protocol
Prescriber's Instructions - Shows the prescriber's instructions as written on the medication label
Protocol Details - Shows the details entered on the Protocol
Started from - The date the PRN protocol started
Next Review Date -The date the PRN protocol is due for review
Days until Review - When a protocol is due for review. Displays Overdue when a PRN Protocol review is past due
History - View previous PRN Protocols, displays the last 5 PRN Protocols with an option to view historical ones.
Created By - The user who added the PRN Protocols/Reviewed

Add a new PRN Protocol

Click on e-MAR on the green bar, then click on Orders on the blue bar. Finally, click on the MAR/TAR Notes on the white bar.
Select the resident you wish to add a PRN Protocol for. Either use the Find Resident search and tick the checkbox next to the resident's name
Select the Prescriber and Order Date
Select PRN Protocol as the MED Type
Click on the magnifying glass to display a list of the available PRNs without protocols and select the PRN that requires the protocol
Enter the Start Date and Time the protocol will become active from (Leave as the default to start immediately) and enter the review date. The review date defaults to 28 days but this can be amended to suit your needs.
Enter the details of the protocol
Click on Add to MAR Now

View an existing PRN Protocols

PRN protocols that have been entered can be viewed at prior to or at the point of administration. By default, the PRN protocol is displayed to prompt staff to review the protocols before proceeding with their administration.

PRN Protocol button - Displays all the protocols associated with all the PRNs for the resident
Resident's PRN button - Displays all the protocols associated with all the PRNs for a resident. The protocols are displayed when this button is clicked for the first time only. To view the protocol again click on the PRN Protocol button
Available PRNs BAR - If collapsed, this displays all the protocols associated with all the PRNs for a resident. The protocols are displayed when this button is clicked for the first time only. To view the protocol again click on the PRN Protocol button
View Protocol button - Displays the protocol for the specific medication from which the button was clicked. Clicking the button again hides the Protocol
PRN Protocol Overdue Prompt - Displays all the protocols due for review. Clicking on the specific protocol displays the details for the medication clicked
Hotlist - Displays the protocol for the medication clicked <link to PRN protocol under Hotlist>
Select a resident from Available PRN for all Clients - Displays the all the protocols associated with all the PRNs for the resident.
Medication Profile - From here, make sure the order status is set to active orders and tick PRN Protocol at the top to see all the existing protocols for a resident - The clicking on the protocol for each medication will allow your to edit and review.

Review A PRN Protocol

PRN protocols can be reviewed to check that it still meets the needs for the resident or the current instructions of the prescriber. This can be completed from the Hotlist, PRN Protocol Review Prompt or Medication Profile.

Click on the medication whose protocol you wish to review. The details of the PRN protocol will be displayed
Make any changes required to the protocol
Select the Next Review Date required
Click Save/Done
On completion click OK on the prompt "PRN Protocol has been saved successfully"
Click Close to exit

Delete a PRN Protocol

PRN Protocols can be deleted if the no longer meet the needs of the resident, or the policies of the Care Home. This also allows you to add a new PRN protocol using the current template if it has changed. This can be completed from the Hotlist, PRN Protocol Review Prompt or Medication Profile.

Click on the medication of the protocol you wish to delete. The details of the PRN Protocol will be displayed
Click Delete Protocol
Click OK on the prompt "Are you sure you want to delete this PRN protocol?"
The PRN protocol will be deleted
A new protocol can be added using the current template

Set up a PRN Protocol Template

Click on Settings
Click on eMAR
Click on PRN Protocol
If you wish to add to the template, enter the name of the field and click Add
If you wish to remove an item from the template click the red X on the left of the item

NB: Adding or Deleting an Item doesn't not affect existing protocols. The new template will be available to use for any new protocols added.

What's next?

We welcome your feedback on how this new feature is improving your resident’s care and your staff's compliance. More importantly we'd love to hear about how we can make it better and easier to use.

We will continue to review this feature as we receive more feedback.