Medication Administration Certification COVID-19 Related Issues June 8, 2020

1. On March 18, 2020, guidance was issued to allow personnel to continue to administer medications and pursue renewal of their Medication Administration Certifications beyond the expiration date. This allowed for personnel with expired certification to administer medications for up to 180 days past expiration until August 1, 2020.

This June 8, 2020, guidance is to remind all personnel, providers, and RN Trainers; that this rule relief expires on August 1, 2020, for all certifications (Category 1, 2, and 3).

• After August 1, 2020, personnel with certifications in expired status may no longer administer medication until their certification in Medication Administration Information System (MAIS) is renewed.
• The MAIS system will allow the entry of renewal requirements that are up to 180 days beyond expiration until August. 1, 2020.
• RN Trainers will need to contact the MAIS support (MA.Database@dodd.ohio.gov) to enter late renewal qualifications, for data not entered by Aug 1, 2020.

2. DODD will continue to allow CEs and skills verifications remotely until December 31, 2020. There should be a limited number of people entering residential settings. Social distancing, face coverings, and other COVID-19 transmission precautions need to continue. 

• Waiver settings, Category 1 CEs, and skills verifications do not need to be completed by a nurse; however, an RN Trainer must approve the CEs and skills verifications and enter them into MAIS.
• The RN Trainer must verify that the person completing the CE and skills verification is qualified to complete the tasks.
• The two hours of CE do not need to be completed all at once.  CEs can be completed and entered in MAIS in increments as small as 1/10th of an hour. Skills verifications can be separate from CEs and can be completed and entered in MAIS before or after CEs.
• Remote CE training still requires attendance verification and viewing of skill demonstrations requires the use of skills checklists from the curriculum.

3. Renewal expiration dates are still bookended to the previous expiration date. A delayed renewal in 2020 does not carry over to a delayed renewal in 2021. (Ex: certification that expired on March 1, 2020, renewed on June 1, 2020, will expire again on March 1, 2021).

    

4. On April 1, 2020, DODD issued specific criteria for RN Trainers to meet in order to provide a significant part of the Initial Medication Certification Training remotely. This will continue through Dec. 31, 2020. The original guidance and specifications for this type of training remain in effect and published on the DODD COVID guidance dated April 1, 2020, as well as on the MAIS Home page.