[Medication reconciliation errors according to patient risk and type of physician prescriber identified by...

Area of Science:

• Clinical Pharmacy
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Medication reconciliation errors (MREs) are a significant concern in hospitalized patients, impacting patient safety.
• Understanding the frequency and risk factors for MREs is crucial for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of MREs in hospitalized patients.
• To identify patient profiles at higher risk for MREs.
• To compare MRE rates between emergency and ward physicians using different prescribing tools.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, cross-sectional study involving 148 hospitalized patients across medical, geriatric, and oncology wards.
• Data collection over 6 months, with a pharmacist performing medication reconciliation.
• Analysis of MREs for associations with risk factors and prescriber type (emergency vs. ward physicians).

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of MREs was observed, with 113 (76.4%) of patients experiencing at least one error.
• A total of 303 MREs were identified across the study sample.
• Polypharmacy (OR, 3.4) and multiple chronic conditions in patients under 80 (OR, 3.9) were significant risk factors for MREs.

Conclusions:

• The incidence of MREs remains high, irrespective of the prescriber's specialty (emergency vs. ward physician).
• Patients utilizing polypharmacy and those under 80 with multiple chronic conditions are at elevated risk.
• These findings highlight the need for enhanced medication safety protocols for at-risk patient populations.