Reducing medication errors in hospital discharge summaries: a randomised controlled trial.

Area of Science:

• Clinical Pharmacy
• Patient Safety
• Medication Management

Background:

• Medication errors in discharge summaries are a significant concern for patient safety.
• Accurate medication information transfer during patient discharge is crucial for continuity of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if pharmacists completing medication management plans in discharge summaries reduces medication errors.
• To assess the impact of pharmacist involvement on the accuracy of medication information provided to patients.

Main Methods:

• A cluster-randomised controlled trial was conducted in a general medical unit.
• Pharmacists completed medication management plans for the intervention group; the control group received standard discharge summaries.
• Independent assessors identified medication errors in discharge summaries.

Main Results:

• Medication errors were identified in 61.5% of control summaries versus 15% in the intervention arm (P<0.01).
• The intervention resulted in a 46.5% absolute risk reduction in medication errors.
• The number needed to treat to avoid one error was 2.2.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacist-led medication management plans significantly decrease medication errors in discharge summaries for general medical patients.
• This intervention effectively reduces high and extreme risk medication errors, enhancing patient safety.