Medication Reconciliation in Acute Care: Ensuring an Accurate Drug Regimen on Admission and Discharge

Background: Several factors contribute to the potential for patient confusion regarding his or her medication regimen, including multiple names for a single drug and formulary variations when the patient receives medications from more than one pharmacy.

Case Study: A 68-year-old woman was discharged from the hospital on a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) and resumed her home statin. Eleven days later she returned to the hospital with a diagnosis of severe rhabdomyolysis due to statin overdose. IMPLEMENTING SOLUTIONS: Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, Ohio, implemented a reconciliation process and order form at admission and discharge to reduce the likelihood that this miscommunication would recur. Initial efforts were trialed on a 44-bed orthopedic unit, with spread of the initiative to the cardiac units and finally to the remaining 22 nursing units.

Results: The team successfully implemented initiation of the order sheet, yet audits indicated the need for improvement in reconciling the medications within 24 hours of admission and in reconciling the home medications at the point of discharge.

Conclusion: Successful implementation of the order sheet to drive reconciliation takes communication, perseverance, and a multidisciplinary team approach.