Medication reconciliation as a tool for reducing polypharmacy at hospital discharge in Internal Medicine Wards

Abstract

Medication reconciliation is a fundamental process of high-quality and safe medical care. An accurate current medication list is essential in all patient care settings. The process of medication reconciliation aims to promote patient safety by providing a structured process for physicians and other healthcare providers to acquire and transfer accurate detailed information about current prescribed medications, non-prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Nevertheless, medication reconciliation is not yet sufficiently spread in the clinical practice. The barriers to the construction of an accurate medication list and to the development of a reliable and enduring method of communication are mostly cultural gaps, lack of time and staff.

Keywords

• reconciliation, medication, polypharmacy, information technology.