Medication reconciliation is the process of identifying and resolving medication discrepancies to ensure that patients receive the correct medications. This process involves comparing the patient's current medications with new prescriptions, ensuring that there are no omissions, duplications, or interactions that could lead to adverse effects.
Steps in Medication Reconciliation: The process typically involves:
Collecting an accurate list of the patient's current medications (including prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal supplements).
Comparing this list with new medication orders or prescriptions.
Identifying discrepancies, such as omitted medications, incorrect dosages, or potentially harmful drug interactions.
Resolving these discrepancies by consulting with the prescribing physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare providers.
Comparison to Other Options:
B. creating a list of a patient's prescription medications: While creating a medication list is a part of the reconciliation process, the primary goal is to resolve discrepancies, not just to list medications.
C. monitoring patient adherence to medication regimens: Monitoring adherence is important, but it is not the primary focus of medication reconciliation.
D. sharing responsibility between pharmacy and nursing: While collaboration between pharmacy and nursing is essential, medication reconciliation is specifically about identifying and addressing discrepancies.
[References: NAHQ guidelines on medication safety stress the importance of medication reconciliation as a critical process for preventing errors and ensuring patient safety, focusing on the identification and resolution of discrepancies as the core objective., , , , , , , ]
