Facilitators and barriers to safe medication administration in nursing homes

Medication administration in nursing homes is a complex and dynamic process, in which the characteristics of the socio-technological work system interact and adapt according to shifting circumstances. Therefore, safe medication administration entails a broad set of tasks and interactions conducted by healthcare professionals, and the process is influenced by a complex web of facilitators and barriers. In our study of two Norwegian nursing home wards, we identified a total of 60 facilitators and barriers to safe medication administration. Several facilitators and barriers were intertwined, meaning that they could act as both facilitators and barriers depending on situational factors in the nursing home’s work system.