Florida Administrative Code Chapter 65G-7 (Medication Administration) is the rule behind three things reviewers always check: the training and validation of every Medication Assistance Provider (MAP) on your staff, the Medication Administration Record (MAR) kept for every client receiving assistance, and the error-reporting chain when something goes wrong. The rule is prescriptive — which is good news, because compliance is a checklist, not a judgment call.
What 65G-7 requires
Training before the first dose
Under Rule 65G-7.004, no unlicensed person may administer medication — or supervise self-administration — for an APD client without completing the agency-approved medication administration training course and holding a current validation for each route they administer (oral, topical, and so on).
Annual validation, renewed on a clock
A Medication Assistance Provider (MAP) must be assessed and validated at least annually by demonstration, and re-validated within the 60 days preceding the current validation's expiration. A lapsed validation means that staff member cannot touch medication until revalidated.
An up-to-date MAR for every client
A Medication Administration Record must be maintained for each client who receives assistance with medication, and each administration (or supervised self-administration) must be documented on the MAR immediately — not at end of shift.
Errors reported on their own form
Medication errors — wrong dose, wrong time, missed dose, wrong person — trigger the Medication Error Report (Form 65G-7.006A) and its own notification chain, separate from the MAR itself.
The MAR form: official or alternative
The state form is APD Form 65G7-00, but 65G-7 does not require the paper form — it permits an alternative MAR, including one generated by an electronic system, as long as it carries the required content: the client, each medication with its dose, route, and administration time, and the initials of the validated staff member for every entry. The same logic applies to the Medication Error Report, where 65G-7.006 explicitly allows an electronically generated form. Official form versions live in our APD forms index.
Where agencies get cited
The common findings are mechanical: a validation that expired mid-year with the staff member still on the medication schedule; MAR entries batch-completed at end of shift instead of at administration; routes administered that the staff member was never validated for; and errors handled informally instead of on Form 65G-7.006A. All four are prevented by the same discipline that runs the rest of an audit-ready agency — current files and contemporaneous documentation, the rhythm our survey-readiness guide covers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the APD MAR form?
The Medication Administration Record — APD Form 65G7-00 — the per-client log of every medication administered or self-administered under supervision. Rule 65G-7 also explicitly permits an alternative MAR form, including one generated by an electronic system, as long as it contains the required information.
Can we use an electronic MAR instead of the paper APD form?
Yes. Rule 65G-7 allows an alternative MAR — including one generated electronically — provided it captures the required fields (the client, each medication with dose, route, and time, the initials of the person administering, and the rest of the rule's required content). Many agencies run an eMAR for exactly this reason.
Who can administer medication under 65G-7?
Licensed health professionals acting within their scope, or unlicensed staff who have completed the agency-approved medication administration course and hold a current validation for the route in question. Validation is annual, by demonstration, and route-specific.
What do reviewers check for 65G-7 compliance?
That every staff member touching medication has a current, route-appropriate validation on file; that a MAR exists and is current for every client receiving assistance; that entries are contemporaneous and complete; and that any errors were reported on Form 65G-7.006A within the required timeline.