eMAR for NDIS Providers: How to Move Medication Records Off Paper
⏱ 7 min read👤 CareIQ Team
Paper medication charts are still common in NDIS services, especially in SIL homes. They work until they do not: a missed signature, a chart that went home with a worker, a refused dose nobody followed up. An electronic medication administration record (eMAR) fixes most of these by making the record at the time, every time.
What an eMAR does
An eMAR lists each participant's medications and schedules the doses that are due. When a worker gives (or cannot give) a dose, they record it there and then: given, refused or missed, with the time and who recorded it. Missed doses are flagged so they can be followed up.
What it does not do
An eMAR records administration. It does not replace the prescriber. The signed medication chart or prescription remains the source of truth for what is prescribed, and your medication policy still governs how staff administer.
Problems an eMAR solves
- Gaps and late entries. The worker records each dose on their phone at the time, not at the end of the shift.
- Missed doses noticed too late. Missed doses are flagged rather than discovered at the next chart audit.
- Charts in the wrong place. The record is the same for every worker and every house.
- No view of adherence. Reports show given versus refused doses per participant over time.
What to look for
- Scheduled dose slots, so workers see what is due on their shift
- Given, refused and missed as distinct outcomes
- Missed-dose alerts
- Works on a phone, during the shift
- Adherence reporting
- Connected to notes, incidents and vitals for the same participant
Rolling it out
- Start with one house or a small group of participants.
- Enter medications from the current signed charts and have a second person check them.
- Run paper and eMAR side by side for a short period.
- Train every worker who administers, including casuals.
- Switch over, then review missed and refused doses weekly.
How CareIQ does it
CareIQ's medication record schedules each dose and records it as given, refused or missed, with missed-dose alerts and adherence reports, alongside the participant's notes, incidents and care plan. Medication is an area CareIQ continues to deepen as providers ask for more. See NDIS medication management software.
Move medication records off paper
The CareIQ eMAR, on every worker's phone. 2-month free trial, no setup fee, no lock-in contracts.
See how it works