GuidesMedication
What is an eMAR system? A guide for UK care providers
What electronic medication records do, how they compare with paper MAR sheets, and what to check before you switch. By Jack Green, AJG Advisory · 6 min read.
What an eMAR system is
An eMAR is an electronic medication administration record. It replaces the paper MAR sheet that sits in a client's folder or a care home's medicines trolley. Instead of initialling a box, the carer records each dose on a phone or tablet, and the record is saved straight away with their name and the time.
The point is not the screen — it is that the record exists as soon as the dose is given, so a manager can see what has and hasn't happened today rather than finding out weeks later.
How it differs from paper MAR sheets
Paper MAR charts depend on someone noticing a blank box. Gaps, unclear codes and handwritten changes are among the most common things picked up in medicines audits. An eMAR can make every outcome a choice from a list, require a reason when a dose isn't given, and alert a manager to anything outstanding.
It also removes the monthly re-writing of charts and the risk of transcription errors when a prescription changes — provided changes are made carefully and checked, just as they would be on paper.
What the regulations and guidance expect
In England, medicines management falls under Regulation 12 (safe care and treatment) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. NICE guidance covers both settings: NG67 for adults receiving social care in the community, and SC1 for care homes. Both expect clear, accurate records of medicines support.
Neither requires an electronic system. An eMAR is a way of meeting the same expectations more reliably — the policy, training and competency checks still have to be in place. Always check your own approach against the current guidance.
Visiting care, care homes and supported living
In domiciliary care, the carer is usually alone, so the record has to work on their phone during the visit and tie each dose to that visit. In care homes, medication rounds cover many residents at set times, so speed and clear 'due now' lists matter most. Supported living often sits in between, with a mix of prompting and administering.
Whatever the setting, the record should show what level of support the person needs — prompting, assisting or administering — because that defines what staff are allowed to do.
Moving off paper safely
Pick a start date, ideally at the start of a medication cycle. Check every medication profile against the current prescription or pharmacy record before it goes live, ideally with a second person. Keep the paper charts for the overlap period and archive them as you would any care record.
Train staff on the device they will actually use, and audit the first fortnight closely. Most early problems are about habits — recording after the visit instead of during it — rather than the software.
Questions to ask any eMAR supplier
- Does every dose show who gave it, when, and the outcome — given, refused, not required or not given with a reason?
- Are missed or late doses flagged to a manager the same day, not found at the month-end audit?
- Can 'when required' (PRN) medicines record the reason given and the effect?
- Is the medication profile — dose, route, timing, allergies — visible to the carer before they give anything?
- Can you see who changed a medication entry and when?
- Can staff only record medicines for the people and visits they are assigned to?
- Can you export MAR charts for a GP, pharmacist, safeguarding enquiry or CQC?
- Does it work on the carer's phone during the visit, not only on an office computer?
Common questions
- Is an eMAR a legal requirement?
- No. UK regulations require accurate medicines records, not a particular format. Paper MAR charts are still acceptable if they are kept well.
- What does MAR stand for?
- Medication administration record — the record of each medicine given, refused or not given, by whom and when.
- Can families see eMAR records?
- Only where there is a lawful basis and the provider chooses to share them. In My Care Manager, medication sharing through the family portal is off by default.
- How much does an eMAR cost?
- Pricing varies widely by supplier. In My Care Manager, eMAR is a £4.99 a month add-on to the £74.99 Core plan, with unlimited staff.
Where My Care Manager fits
My Care Manager's eMAR sits alongside the care plan, rota and carer app, so each dose is recorded against the visit it happened on and refused or missed doses show on the manager's dashboard. See also our CQC readiness checklist.