Medication Administration - Nose Drops Policy

Medication Administration - Nose Drops Policy 

Purpose: 
To ensure safe and effective administration of nose drops to residents as prescribed, in compliance with CMS guidelines and the State Operations Manual (SOM) for long-term care facilities. 

Procedure: 

I. Resident Positioning: 

• Position the resident properly. 

• If the resident is in a chair, instruct them to hold their head well back. The nurse should stand behind the resident’s head. 

• If the resident is in bed, place a pillow under their shoulders to allow the head to drop back so that the forehead is lower than the chin. 

II. Medication Administration: 

• Instill the prescribed number of drops into the nostril(s), directing the flow toward the floor of the nasal cavity. 

• Avoid touching the nasal cavity to prevent damage to tissue. 

• Insert the dropper tip no more than ¼ inch into the nostril. 

• Use aseptic technique to prevent contamination of the dropper. 

III. Post-Administration: 

• Instruct the resident to maintain the position for about 2 minutes to allow sufficient contact of medication with nasal tissue and flow of medication into the sinuses. 

• Raise the resident to a sitting position to allow the medication to flow into the lower part of the nose. Wipe any excess or drainage immediately. 

• Assist the resident into a comfortable position. 

• Replace the bottle cap securely. 

References: 

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Requirements of Participation for Long-Term Care Facilities. 

• State Operations Manual (SOM), CMS.