Hospital-Based Medication Reconciliation Practices

Abstract

Adverse drug events (ADEs), defined as patient injuries related to using a drug,¹ are an epidemic patient safety issue, occurring in 5% to 40% of hospitalized patients and in 12% to 17% of patients after hospital discharge.^2,3 Transitions of care, such as hospital admission and discharge, contribute to ADEs in part through medication discrepancies, that is, unexplained differences in documented medication regimens across different sites of care.^4,5 Medication discrepancies are common, occurring in up to 70% of patients at hospital admission or discharge,^6-10 with almost one-third of these having the potential to cause patient harm (ie, potential ADEs [PADEs]).¹⁰ ADEs associated with medication discrepancies can prolong hospital stays and, in the postdischarge period, may lead to emergency department visits, hospital readmissions, and use of other health care resources.^11,12