starting medication reconciliation with patient self report

by Velva Veum 7 min read

Medication Reconciliation - Patient Safety and Quality

18 hours ago This process comprises five steps: (1) develop a list of current medications; (2) develop a list of medications to be prescribed; (3) compare the medications on the two lists; (4) make clinical decisions based on the comparison; and (5) communicate the new list to appropriate caregivers and to the patient. >> Go To The Portal


Medication reconciliation begins with collecting a current medication list. The medication list should include all medications (prescriptions, over-the-counter, herbals, supplements, etc.) and their dose, route, frequency, and indication. It is vital to know which medications the patient has been taking.

Full Answer

What are the steps in medication reconciliation?

The steps in medication reconciliation are seemingly straightforward.7 For a newly hospitalized patient, the steps include obtaining and verifying the patient’s medication history, documenting the patient’s medication history, writing orders for the hospital medication regimen, and creating a medication administration record.

How confident are attendees in reconciliation of medication?

The preintervention data showed that 30.6% of attendees were not at all confident or only somewhat confident in conducting an appropriate medication reconciliation on admission to the hospital.

What files are included in the submission for a medication reconciliation?

The files included in the submission are as follows: • Medication reconciliation PPT slides (Appendix A)—to be used in presenting the importance of appropriate medication reconciliation and keys to effective transitions of care. The slides include descriptive text and additional information in the Notes section.

What are the National patient safety goals for medication reconciliation?

As of July 2011, medication reconciliation has been incorporated into National Patient Safety Goal #3, "Improving the safety of using medications."

What is the first step in the process of medication reconciliation?

This process comprises five steps: (1) develop a list of current medications; (2) develop a list of medications to be prescribed; (3) compare the medications on the two lists; (4) make clinical decisions based on the comparison; and (5) communicate the new list to appropriate caregivers and to the patient.

What are the steps of medication reconciliation?

Medication reconciliation involves a three-step process: verification (collecting an accurate medication history); clarification (ensuring that the medications and doses are appropriate); and reconciliation (documenting every single change and making sure it “squares” with all the other medication information).

What should be included in a medication reconciliation form?

The Universal Medication Form is a chart to help you and your family members keep a current record of information that physicians need to know. This record includes immunizations, allergies, prescribed medications, and any vitamins, herbal supplements or over-the-counter medicines.

What steps should the nurse take when performing medication reconciliation?

The steps of medication reconciliation include obtaining a complete list of the client's medications and supplements; ensuring accuracy of all the listed and the dosing of medications; reviewing for any discrepancies noted with the new prescriptions and current medications and notifying the healthcare provider if any ...

How do you conduct a medication history?

Taking medication histories can be difficult....Here are 10 steps to do so:Step 1: Introduce yourself to patients and ask for permission to discuss their home medications. ... Step 2: Check each patient's name and date of birth.Step 3: Ask whether they came to the hospital from their home or a facility, if you're uncertain.More items...•

Who should perform medication reconciliation?

The medication reconciliation process is the shared responsibility of healthcare providers in collaboration with patients/clients and families. It requires an inter-professional team approach that includes pharmacists, physicians, nurses and other healthcare providers.

What are the steps in medication reconciliation quizlet?

develop a list of current medications. develop a list of medications to be prescribed. compare the medications on the two lists. make clinical decisions based comparison. communicate the new list to appropriate caregivers and patient.

What are the features of a medication reconciliation application?

Medication reconciliation, as described by The Joint Commission, has five core steps: Gathering and verifying current medication information; prescribing medications; resolving discrepancies; making clinical decisions; and communicating a finalized list to the patient or caregiver [50].

What are the most effective practices for medication reconciliation in hospital setting?

Best Practices to Improve Your Medication Reconciliation NOWStart the medical reconciliation process before the patient shows up. ... Put pharmacists in charge of medication reconciliation. ... Decouple medication reconciliation from rooming tasks. ... Educate and involve patients in medical reconciliation.More items...•

What does the nurse do in medication reconciliation?

Nurses considered themselves to be second only to physicians in medication reconciliation since they: obtain an accurate medication history on admission, verify and reconcile discrepancies between the medication history list, those ordered on admission and at transition, and send the discharge medication list to the ...

When should the nurse perform medication reconciliation for a patient?

Medication reconciliation can be considered complete when each drug the patient is taking has been actively continued, discontinued, held, or modified at each transition point”. Transitions in care include changes in setting, service, practitioner or level of care (IHI, 2015).

What questions should the nurse include in the medication history?

Have you recently started, stopped, or changed the medications you take? How so? What medications are prescribed by any specialists you may see? Do you use an inhaler (or other medications that are not available as pills, such as eye drops, creams, injections, nasal sprays, patches, and so on)?

What is medication reconciliation?

Medication reconciliation refers to the process of avoiding such inadvertent inconsistencies across transitions in care by reviewing the patient's complete medication regimen at the time of admission, transfer, and discharge and comparing it with the regimen being considered for the new setting of care.

Does medication reconciliation reduce readmissions?

However, both the actual clinical effect of medication discrepancies after discharge appears to be small, and therefore, medication reconciliation alone does not reduce readmissions or other adverse events after discharge.

Can pharmacists prevent medication discrepancies?

A 2016 systematic review found evidence that pharmacist-led processes could prevent medication discrepancies and potential ADEs at hospital admission, in-hospital transitions of care (such as transfer into or out of the intensive care unit), and at hospital discharge.

Is medication reconciliation effective?

Medication reconciliation has therefore become an example of a safety intervention that has been effective in research settings but has been difficult to implement successfully in general practice. A 2016 commentary identified the major reasons for difficulty achieving safety improvements via medication reconciliation.

What is medication reconciliation?

As defined by the JCAHO, medication reconciliation is "the process of comparing a patient's medication orders to all of the medications that the patient has been taking. This reconciliation is done to avoid medication errors such as omissions, duplications, dosing errors, or drug interactions.

What does "renew all expired medications" mean?

Renew all expired medications. If the patient already has these medications, the pharmacist places them on hold. Prescribe new medications not on the medication profile including OTC, herbal, and traditional medications. All prescriptions will contain the indication for prescribing (to address health literacy)

Finding a Cause

The first order of business was to identify a specific process that could be improved through use of health information technology (HIT) and that could help the hospital quickly realize patient care and safety benefits in a tangible way.

Seeking the Truth

Myrtue leaders decided that they needed an electronic medication reconciliation solution that would help them gain access to one “source of truth” across the care continuum from the patient’s home, to the outpatient clinics, to the hospital.

Background

Medication reconciliation is a formal process or technique used by health care providers and pharmacists to gather a complete and accurate list of a patient's prescribed and home medications; to identify discrepancies in drug regimens in different levels of care, care settings, or points in time; and to use that information to inform prescribing decisions and identify and prevent medication errors.

Areas of Current Investigation

Fifteen grantees were identified by the AHRQ National Resource Center for Health Information Technology (NRC) as having medication reconciliation as an aspect of their projects. Grantees were asked to identify the purposes and objectives for including medication reconciliation as a focus of their health IT project.

Using Data Provided by Patients

Some of the grantee projects build upon the concept that the patient is the best source of information for tracking medication lists.

Electronic Health Record System Readiness

Grantees noted that EHR systems, particularly in the inpatient setting, enabled documentation and communication of medication information, but were very limited in their ability to perform reconciliation within the EHR.

Care Transitions

A major challenge for both inpatient and outpatient organizations is integrating reconciliation via health IT without compromising efficiency.

Organizational Roles and Responsibilities

When introducing any new process, identifying the different roles and responsibilities is critical to ensuring each step is completed in a way that is most effective for the organization or individual.

Conclusion

Medication reconciliation has traditionally been a manual and paper-based process that can be supported by automation through the use of health IT.

What is medication reconciliation?

Medication reconciliation is a critical process for avoiding omissions, duplications, dosing errors, and interactions. Sterling Ransone, MD, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and Frank Federico, RPh, vice president of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, offer tips for facilitating this key aspect of patient safety.

How to reconcile medication?

Start with the basics. Medication reconciliation involves: 1 Comparing medications that the patient is currently taking with those that have been prescribed 2 Making clinical decisions based on the comparison 3 Communicating any changes to the patient

Polypharmacy At Play

You may wonder, “Shouldn’t the doctor know about contraindicated medications and what types of medication loads would constitute overmedication?” Good question!

A Team Game

Home health professionals, such as the nurses and physical therapists who help patients heal following medical procedures and hospital stays know a thing or two about the challenges of medication reconciliation. Home health companies regularly include medication reconciliation as an integral part of the services they provide.