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9.4 Oral Nutrition

Guidance: Suggested 7 Steps to Appropriate Prescribing of Adult Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS)

IMPORTANT: This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of health care professionals to consider individual patient needs. Consider underlying medical conditions (including end of life care), eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (outside the remit of this guidance) and risk factors for disease, before offering food first advice or prescribing ONS

The steps are detailed in the tabs and links below and the full guidance is available as a pdf here

See also ‘Promoting Good Nutrition’ (PGN) regional guidance

See PHA website also for – Oral nutrition support – resources for patients, carers and healthcare professionals

9.4.1 Step 1-Identification of nutritional risk 

9.4.2-Step 2-Underlying causes of malnutrition 

9.4.3-Step 3-Set Goals 

9.4.4-Step 4-Discuss ‘Food First’ dietary advice 

9.4.5-Step 5-Prescribe ONS 

9.4.6-Step 6-Review need for ONS 

9.4.7 Step 7-When to Discontinue ONS