Certified Medication Assistants Gain Traction in Washington Nursing Homes

​Based on one nursing home's success in implementing a certified medication assistant (MA-C) training program, the Geriatric Interest Group of Spokane, Washington, plans to expand its initiative across three more nursing homes, according to a June 2018 article published in Annals of Long-Term Care. The interest group began the initiative in response to a local shortage of licensed practical nurses and registered nurses working in area nursing homes. The pilot initiative resulted in improved medication error rates, better staff satisfaction, lower hospital readmission and resident fall rates, and better call-light response rates. Because salaries are lower for medication assistants, even adding the new staff produced a total increase costs for salaries (for LPNs, RN, nursing assistants, and MA-Cs) of only $35 more per month than baseline after the change.