Effective Communication: The Key to Medication Safety!
Did you know that there is a process in place to ensure that medication information is communicated systematically across transitions of care? Known as medication reconciliation, it is a process in which healthcare providers work together with patients, their loved ones and other health and social service providers.
Medication reconciliation (MedRec) is a process in which healthcare providers work together with patients, their families and health and social service providers. The goal of this process is to ensure that medication information is communicated consistently at all transitions of care. This process consists of three steps:
- Collect the medication information by interviewing the patient or loved one to generate the Best Possible Medication History (BPMH)
- Analyze, resolve and communicate discrepancies between the medications used at home and those prescribed in a care setting (if necessary)
- Create an up-to-date list of medications and communicate the medication information to the patient and health providers (pharmacist and other health partners)
The goal is clear: improve patient safety! The benefits of medication reconciliation are many:
- Reduce harmful medication incidents
- Reduce hospital readmissions
- Avoid errors at admission, transfer and discharge
Effective communication: The key to medication safety!