Covert medication

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Covert medication (also called concealed, hidden or surreptitious medication), the covert administration of medicines is when medicines are administered in a disguised form, usually in food or drink, without the knowledge or consent of the individual receiving the drug.[1][2] The decision-making processes surrounding covert medication should be in the best interests of the patient, transparent and inclusive.[3]

Research suggests that covert administration of drugs is an embedded practice in nursing homes for the elderly in New Zealand.[4] 43-71% of nursings homes in the United Kingdom acknowledge the practice.[5]: 1 

  1. ^ Hung EK, McNiel DE, Binder RL (1 April 2012). "Covert medication in psychiatric emergencies: is it ever ethically permissible?". The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. 40 (2): 239–245. PMID 22635297.
  2. ^ "Medicines management in care homes". NICE Guidance. NICE. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  3. ^ Kelly-Fatemi B (19 September 2016). "Covert administration of medicines in care homes". The Pharmaceutical Journal. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Garratt Jonas Peri Kerse 2021 p. was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Guidry-Grimes, Laura; Dean, Megan; Victor, Elizabeth Kaye (2021-06-01). "Covert administration of medication in food: a worthwhile moral gamble?". Journal of Medical Ethics. 47 (6): 389–393. doi:10.1136/medethics-2019-105763. ISSN 0306-6800. PMID 32060208.