[Medication verification in hospital: is it proportional?]

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Medication Safety
• Healthcare Management

Context:

• The Dutch Guideline 'Transmission of medication in the chain' (2008) mandated medication verification upon hospital admission and discharge.
• Hospitals invested heavily in staff to comply with this guideline.
• Despite efforts, adequate medication transmission remains a challenge 15 years later.

Purpose:

• To analyze the organizational features of hospital medication verification contributing to its ineffectiveness.
• To propose an improved model for medication overview management and transmission.
• To enhance patient safety through better medication reconciliation processes.

Summary:

• Hospital medication verification systems exhibit characteristics of the Risk Regulation Reflex, indicating a systemic issue.
• A proposed solution involves shifting responsibility for updating medication overviews to community pharmacies, involving patients directly.
• This collaborative approach aims to improve medication data accuracy and patient compliance.

Impact:

• Potential to significantly improve medication safety and reduce errors by ensuring accurate medication histories.
• Highlights the need for systemic changes beyond hospital-centric verification processes.
• Suggests a more patient-centered and community-integrated model for medication management.