How to Audit MAR Charts and Medication Records
Updated: Oct 11
Medication administration record audits should establish what happened, whether support matched the care plan and whether unexplained gaps were followed up. A neat signature sheet is not enough if medicines, instructions or outcomes cannot be traced.
What compliance work taught me
When reviewing care records, I learned to compare systems rather than inspect a MAR in isolation. The prescription, current medication list, care plan, risk assessment, daily notes, pharmacy communication, incident records and MAR should tell the same story. A discrepancy between them is a prompt to investigate, not something to silently correct.
NICE provides guidance on managing medicines for adults receiving social care in the community. CQC also expects accurate, complete and contemporaneous records under Regulation 17.
MAR audit checklist
Person, medicine, dose, route, frequency and timing match current instructions.
Allergies and relevant risks are clearly visible.
Every expected administration has a recognised code or signature.
Omissions, refusals, errors and unavailable medicines have explanations and follow-up.
PRN protocols explain when, why and how much to give and how effectiveness is recorded.
Changes, discontinuations and transcriptions are authorised and traceable.
Controlled-drug and stock records reconcile where relevant.
Staff administering medicines have current training and assessed competence.
Daily notes and incidents match the MAR.
Recurring themes lead to actions and effectiveness checks.
Responding to a gap
Protect the person first and obtain clinical advice when needed. Preserve the original record, add a dated explanation through the proper correction process, escalate according to policy, consider safeguarding and notification duties, and investigate the system around the error.
Support
Find medication and audit resources, care training and provider services. Use the forum or arrange a free consultation.
This is practical guidance, not clinical or legal advice. Seek appropriate medical help for medication concerns.
Relevant Looking Glass Care support
Medication Competency & Error Review Pack — support MAR review, competency evidence and learning from errors.
Care Compliance Self-Audit Pack — connect medication findings to wider governance actions.
Medicines Awareness for Care Staff training — view course and price
Care Documentation & Evidence Quality training — view course and price
Book a free consultation to discuss medication-audit and evidence needs.
Official sources and further reading
Official guidance can change. Check the linked authority pages for the latest position.
Put this into practice: explore the relevant collection below and check each listing for its audience, contents, format and current price.
Useful resources for this topic
If you would like a practical record to use alongside this article, the resources below explain their scope, format and price. Choose only the material that fits your circumstances; a completed template is a starting point for action and review.
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