Improving Medication Reconciliation on the Surgical Wards of a District General Hospital

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Surgical wards showed lower medication reconciliation rates compared to other specialties.
• Medication reconciliation is a complex task often performed by busy junior doctors during patient admissions.
• Underperformance in medication reconciliation poses risks to patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the existing medication reconciliation process in surgical wards.
• To identify methods for improving patient safety through enhanced medication reconciliation.
• To develop and implement a tool to support accurate medication reconciliation.

Main Methods:

• Design and implementation of a surgical admissions proforma with a dedicated 'medications on admission' section.
• Pilot testing of the proforma on a surgical ward over a six-month period.
• Data collection and analysis of medication reconciliation rates before and after proforma implementation.

Main Results:

• Medication reconciliation rates improved significantly from 60% to 85% on the pilot ward.
• The new proforma facilitated a more structured and consistent approach to medication reconciliation.
• Positive outcomes supported the wider adoption of the standardized proforma.

Conclusions:

• The developed surgical admissions proforma is an effective tool for improving medication reconciliation.
• Standardizing the admissions proforma enhances patient safety by ensuring accurate medication histories.
• This initiative demonstrates a successful quality improvement project with trust-wide implications.