[Medication reconciliation: From admission to primary care]

Abstract

Objectives: To implement a medication reconciliation circuit of inter-level, comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach in an integrated health organization. To measure the discrepancies detected in each of the steps studied.

Method: A prospective intervention study of one-year duration. The medication is reconciled at admission to the hospital, at discharge and when the patient goes to his Primary Care physician. The number and type of discrepancies detected each time the medication is reconciled are collected and resolved, as well as the total number of drugs before and after each reconciliation process quantified.

Results: Between November 1, 2013 and October 31, 2014 the medication had been reconciled to 77 patients, 63% male, mean age 69,5 years. Mean admission discrepancy per patient was 7,85, 3,67 at discharge and 2,19 at Primary Care.

Conclusions: This program of medication reconciliation, in addition to detect and resolve discrepancies, has been a starting point for establishing new channels of communication between the different health professionals who have participated in the program and disseminate the safety culture within the organization.

Keywords: Admission; Alta; Atención primaria; Conciliación de la medicación; Discharge; Discrepancias; Discrepancies; Ingreso; Medication reconciliation; Primary care.