![]() These should be included on a patient's current medication list. Patients are taking more non-prescription drugs, including over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, herbals, and dietary supplements.This figure has likely declined as medication regimens have continued to grow in complexity. Consider that a study published in 2012 showed that only 36% of patients were able to provide a medication list that matched their pharmacy-prescribed drugs. As the number of medications grows, so does a patient's ability to recall all their medications and associated details. Patients are taking more medications than ever.Here are just some of the reasons why developing a current medication list can prove so difficult: If even a single medication or critical detail about a medication (e.g., dosage, frequency, route of administration) is omitted from this list, the risk of an adverse drug event increases and the ability to effectively and appropriately complete the remaining medication reconciliation steps decreases. ![]() ![]() The first step is perhaps not only the most important but also the most challenging of the medication reconciliation steps: documenting all a patient's current medications. Develop a list of a patient's current medications Let's review what are considered the five fundamental medication reconciliation steps and highlight some of significant challenges associated with each of them. Steps to Complete Medication Reconciliation All discharged patients should receive a medication reconciliation post-discharge (MRP) within 72 hours of discharge, but statistics show that MRP is only occurring with half of these patients. We also know that the medication reconciliation process is often delayed or skipped entirely. Yet we know through numerous studies, such as this study of Pennsylvania hospital data, that serious events related to the medication reconciliation process occur - and occur quite regularly. The steps to complete medication reconciliation may seem, on the surface, to be straightforward. These and other statistics should motivate providers to best ensure they are properly performing the necessary medication reconciliation Medication errors also contribute to thousands of patients experiencing adverse drug events and billions of dollars in avoidable costs annually. Just how important is medication reconciliation? A regularly referenced survey shows that hospital-based pharmacists considered medication reconciliation "… to be their most important role in improving care transitions." There's good reason for this sentiment: Every year, 7,000 to 9,000 Americans die due to a medication error.
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