{
  "abstract": "Background In 2021 the British Association of Perinatal Medicine published the Family Integrated Care framework which focuses on empowering parents in decision making and providing their baby’s care. 1 Ensuring parents are confident with giving their baby’s medication is essential and a quality improvement project looking at parent medication administration (PMA) in a tertiary level neonatal unit has demonstrated an increase in parental confidence in giving medicines whilst also saving nursing time.2 Aim To obtain the views of parents and neonatal staff on the concept of introducing PMA for their baby on neonatal units across two neonatal operational delivery networks (ODNs).Method Two structured focus groups were held: one with neonatal staff from both ODNs and one with parents whose babies had experienced neonatal care in those networks. Invitations briefly explained the concept of PMA. Sessions were co-facilitated by the lead neonatal pharmacists for each ODN. The staff cohort included 24 participants (83.3% nurses; 16.7% pharmacists), and eight parents attended the parent focus group.Results Both groups identified timing, education, and support as dominant themes. Staff also identified documentation and storage of medications as critical issues. Both groups agreed on the importance of building parental confidence in administering drugs before discharge.Regarding timing, staff members focused on creating early opportunities for parents to give medicines, while parents valued having the choice to participate without pressure. Both groups highlighted the challenges surrounding medicine administration schedules and parent availability and maintaining clear communication. This directly linked into the documentation of the dose given and concerns on how parents would document this, especially on units using electronic prescribing.Education was closely linked to support and documentation. Staff emphasised tracking parents’ progression toward competency, whereas parents preferred framing the goal as building confidence. Staff highlighted the need for signposting to regional and national resources, and parents underlined the importance of receiving support after discharge, especially regarding community medicine shortages, use of over-the-counter preparations and information on oral syringes including how to clean them and access further supply.Staff concerns around storage centred on whether individual patient lockers were required and how to prevent mis-selection if multiple patients’ medicines were stored together. They questioned whether parents should have direct access to their baby’s medication, highlighting the need for secure, accessible solutions for PMA.Conclusion These findings highlight considerations for developing regional PMA guidance: parents should administer medications only when ready and without pressure, supported by robust education and resources. The absence of medical staff input was a limitation, doctors will be included in the multidisciplinary working group for policy development and creation of supporting materials.Work is underway to create the working group who will develop the materials required to initiate and support PMA implementation across the two neonatal ODNs.References BAPM. Family Integrated Care. A BAPM Framework for Practice. November 2021. Accessed via: https://www.bapm.org/resources/ficare-framework-for-practice.Cochrane C, Ramsey L, Jackson M, et al. G13 Quality improvement project: parent administration of medication in a tertiary neonatal unit. Arch Dis Child 2019;104:A6.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Thames Valley And Wessex Neonatal ODN, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Suzannah Hibberd"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Kent, Surrey, Sussex Neonatal ODN, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Christian Chadwick"
    }
  ],
  "title": "SP8 Exploring parents administering medication in neonatal care – parent and staff perspectives",
  "uid": "9f13eb7a-59bd-58c3-bda5-9432e886f2ad"
}