Impact of doing Medication Reconciliation at the start of Inpatient Admission for Acute Care

Abstract

Medication reconciliation, conducted at the onset of inpatient admission for acute care, is a pivotal process aimed at averting medication errors and ensuring patient safety. This review scrutinizes the impact of medication reconciliation on patient outcomes, healthcare quality, and cost-effectiveness within acute care settings. While medication reconciliation entails creating an accurate list of a patient's current medications, comparing it with prescribed medications, and making clinical judgments, its efficacy has garnered increased attention from healthcare accrediting bodies such as the Accreditation Canada Program and the Joint Commission of the USA. Additionally, the World Health Organization's High 5s Project underscores its global significance in enhancing patient safety. Despite its benefits, medication reconciliation poses challenges such as inadequate patient medication documentation and resource limitations. Overcoming these challenges is pivotal to integrating medication reconciliation seamlessly into routine clinical practice. Nevertheless, the benefits of medication reconciliation in reducing medication errors, optimizing patient outcomes, and mitigating healthcare costs are substantial, highlighting the necessity of prioritizing its implementation in acute care settings.