Transdermic patches are a form of topical medication, which means they deliver drugs which are absorbed through the skin. They are most commonly used for pain relief.

It's easy to assume that patches are somehow less important than oral medication for example, but in reality they often deliver controlled drugs such as Fentanyl. This means they're actually crucial. If you applied a second patch by mistake, this could be like doubling a Morphine dose for a whole week - not good! Since they're applied less frequently, errors such missed doses or overdoses can have more serious consequences.

Patches can be difficult to manage with MAR systems and there is a higher risk of the routine being disrupted by some event that prevents a patch change on a set day.

We manage patches at Nouveau Care by dating the patches using a pen at every change. Please mark the patches with the date on the day they are changed. You should check patches regularly - for example, during personal care - to ensure there has not been a missed dose & the patch is not missing. Patches can be problematic in home care for numerous reasons - they're easy to displace during dressing and undressing, and they have to be kept dry otherwise they can lose adhesive or become less effective.

Best practice for patches is usually to rotate the position of the patch with each change so that it's not always in the same place, which can damage the skin. This will differ between service users, but a sensible place is on the back of the shoulder & alternating between the left and right with each change. This should be documented in the care plan. Try to avoid putting a patch somewhere unexpected & never leave the old patch on when you apply a new one. If there is an agreed place to apply patches it is far easier to see whether a patch has fallen off, for example.