Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1) The Board of Nursing may adopt standards
of medication assistant, certified practice and continuing
competency.
(2) A Medication
Assistant, Certified (MAC) may perform limited medication administration tasks
in a licensed healthcare facility (other than a mental health residential
community program) or a Board of Nursing-approved health care or educational
facility licensed, certified, or operated by this state, only as permitted by
this rule.
(a) In order to perform limited
medication administration tasks, a MAC must successfully complete a
Board-approved education program or a comparable program in another state and
hold an active Alabama valid medication assistant, certified permit and
certification (MACE).
(3)
Medication administered by a MAC in a licensed healthcare facility or a Board
of Nursing-approved health care or educational facility licensed, certified, or
operated by this state may occur only when all of the following conditions are
met:
(a) At least one licensed nurse is on
the premises of the facility at the time when the MAC limited medication
administration task occurs.
(b) A
licensed nurse supervises the limited medication administration task performed
by the MAC and is available to intervene as needed.
(c) The limited medication administration
tasks the MAC performs are based on the patient's/resident's needs, as
documented in the comprehensive and/or focused assessment by the registered
nurse or licensed practical nurse and the outcome of a comprehensive assessment
determines the medications that may safely be administered by a MAC to the
patient/resident.
(d) The MAC shall
not perform any duties that require the exercise of independent nursing
judgment or intervention. Specific tasks that require independent nursing
judgment or intervention that shall not be administered by the MAC include, but
are not limited to:
1. Administration of
injectable medications, with the exception of medications by premeasured
auto-injectable devices or premeasured syringes for anaphylaxis, vaccinations,
and opioid-related drug overdose.
2. Calculation of medication dosages, other
than measuring a prescribed amount of liquid medication or breaking a scored
tablet.
3. Receipt of verbal or
telephone orders from a licensed prescriber.
4. Administration of medications ordered as
needed (PRN), except under the direction of a licensed nurse, which direction
shall be provided directly for each separate dose of the PRN medication
5. Administration of controlled
substances. The MAC shall not have access to stored controlled
substances.
(e) Subject
to all other limitations imposed by this rule, routes of medication
administration for which the MAC may perform limited medication administration
tasks may include eye, ear, nose, oral, topical, inhalant, rectal, or
vaginal.
