March 30, 2026
Medicines audits help care homes move from assumption to evidence. A service may feel organised day to day, but an audit shows whether medicines are actually being stored safely, accessed properly and recorded accurately. NICE says care homes should have clear policies for receiving, storing and disposing of medicines, while its care home medicines checklist says these processes should be monitored and audited. CQC also states that adult social care providers must maintain secure, accurate and up-to-date medicines records.
