Medication Policy: Residents and Their Health Care

Recovery housing is not a treatment or clinical setting. Therefore, it is important that homes allow residents to work with their health care professionals to determine what medications are appropriate for them based on any behavioral or physical health needs.

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Residents may be prescribed medications at any time 

A resident may enter into a recovery home and then, after working with their health care provider, be prescribed medication. Therefore, medication policies need to go beyond just the screening and orientation processes, but be implemented consistently over time and consider the changing health care needs of residents.

Additionally, residents may need to take over-the-counter medications or wish to take supplements or other products that are sold without a prescription. Your medication policy should consider all of these elements and provide answers to common questions.

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Residents and their health conditions

As previously mentioned, recovery housing is not a clinical or treatment setting. It is unlawful to discriminate against individuals who have a specific health condition. Accordingly, it is not recommended to ask residents about any specific health conditions they may have, as it may lead to unlawful bias in deciding who and how someone can live in the house. Though the resident can freely tell you about any condition they may have without being coerced, they also have the right to never tell you anything about their health condition.

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Peer Support

Peer support can contribute to the effectiveness of medication policies in recovery homes by fostering a sense of community and accountability among residents.