A Closer Look: Medication Reconciliation
Providence Health Center has been given the opportunity to introduce pharmacy staff into the medication
reconciliation process. The medication reconciliation process is a complete review of what medications
a patient is taking in an effort to avoid medication errors such as missing dosages, duplications, dosing
errors, or drug interactions. This process includes a comparison of the existing and previous medication a
patient is taking and should be continually reviewed when new medications are ordered, existing orders are
rewritten or adjusted, or if the patient has added nonprescription medications to his or her self-care.
In the near future, pharmacy staff will be integrated into the current medication reconciliation process
on the units, which will greatly help our multi-disciplinary teams provide better patient care. Our pharmacy
staff will be introduced into two of the most important areas of medication reconciliation, admission and
discharge. Historically, pharmacy staff members were only participating in the “middle” of the process.
Using pharmacy staff on admission will reduce the burden on the nursing staff, and ensure correct dosing
of medication before the physician admits the patient. This reduces medication errors and improves patient
safety. Pharmacy staff members are trained to know interactions, dosages and possible duplicate therapies.
Pharmacists will also be participating in discharge medication reconciliation. The pharmacist can review
the medications a patient is taking to help optimize therapy and suggest cost saving alternatives. The
pharmacist will also educate patients on any new medications as well as answer questions about existing
medications. This should help patients better understand why they need certain medications and the
importance of taking them, which will help improve compliance and reduce readmission to the hospital.
Providence closely evaluates data regarding the importance of patients understanding the communication
provided to them regarding their medications. Data is collected through the Communication about Medications
category on the HCAHPS survey. The two questions below provide valuable feedback on the interactions
our staff have with patients during their stay.
• Before giving you any new medicine,how
often did hospital staff tell you what the
medicine was for?
• Before giving you any new medicine,
how often did hospital staff describe
possible side effects in a way you could
understand?
In the graph to the right, the blue line
represents our current performance score
and the green line represents the Texas
State Average. The red line represents our
Providence goal. The enhanced medication
reconciliation process will enable patients to receive more thorough explanations on their medications,
which will positively contribute to the patient’s health, safety and overall healthcare experience.
2014 Upcoming Blood Drives:
April 8 • June 6 • Aug 5 • Oct 7 • Dec 4
If you are not able to donate the day of our drive, head over to
Carter BloodCare and let them know you are with Providence!
The Pulse of Providence •
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