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Evaluation of medication list accuracy from hospital discharge to first outpatient follow‐up
Author(s) -
Sacco Keith,
Irvin Myra,
Bates Allan A.,
Hiroto Brett,
Heckman Alexander,
Mareth Karl,
Williams Shamol,
Parkulo Mark
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of pharmacy practice and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2055-2335
pISSN - 1445-937X
DOI - 10.1002/jppr.1446
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency department , emergency medicine , observational study , hospital discharge , patient discharge , medication reconciliation , outpatient clinic , cohort , health care , medical emergency , medline , family medicine , pharmacist , pharmacy , intensive care medicine , psychiatry , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Background Medication discrepancies are common between transitions in healthcare and are associated with higher healthcare utilisation and hospital readmission following discharge. Medication reconciliation is a key intervention to reduce medication list discrepancy. The transition between discharge and first outpatient appointment is critical for patient recovery. The proportion of medication discrepancies during this interval is not well characterised. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of patients’ medication list between discharge from hospital or emergency department to first outpatient follow‐up with their primary care physician. Methods A cross‐sectional observational study was performed between November 2015 and May 2016. A 10‐question survey was designed to identify potential areas of inaccuracies in the medication lists. Results In all, 106 patients completed the survey, of whom 67.9% ( n = 72) had complete data. Eighty per cent of patients ( n = 85) had a provider review their medication list prior to discharge. At the time of follow‐up, 22.6% ( n = 28) were not taking the listed medications; of this cohort, 35% ( n = 8) had a physician instruct them to stop taking medication. Six per cent of patients ( n = 6) reported incorrect medication doses. Conclusion Medication discrepancies occur in the transition from hospital discharge to first follow‐up. This poses a threat to patient safety. A standardised process of medication review is critical to prevent such errors.