Prevented harm and cost avoidance with pharmacist intervention while utilizing a discharge medication reconciliation...

Area of Science:

• Health Economics
• Patient Safety
• Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

• Medication errors are a significant source of preventable patient harm.
• Effective medication reconciliation is vital for safe patient transitions, especially at discharge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the cost avoidance and prevented harm resulting from pharmacist interventions during discharge medication reconciliation.
• To assess the financial impact of pharmacist-led medication reconciliation processes.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective chart review identified pharmacist-initiated discharge medication reconciliation interventions.
• Discrepancies were categorized using the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) system.
• Cost avoidance was calculated based on intervention type and associated risk.

Main Results:

• Pharmacists performed 190 interventions, potentially avoiding $46,958 to $231,032 in costs.
• Interventions involving high-risk medications accounted for $33,920 to $147,203 in cost avoidance.
• Top cost-avoiding medication classes included insulin, antithrombotics, and opioids.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacist-led discharge medication reconciliation effectively prevents patient harm.
• These interventions lead to significant cost avoidance, highlighting their value in healthcare systems.