Tamperproof: Securing Medication Reconciliation

What You Need to Know to Improve Adherence and Enhance Patient Safety


 

About the Webinar

 
A 2006 Institute of Medicine report estimated the cost of medication errors at more than $3.5 billion a year. In April 2007, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released a report showing that the number of people treated for problems related to medication errors is rising. In 2008, 1.9 million people became sick or were injured from medication side effects or because they took or were given the wrong drug or dose.

Mounting evidence proves medication reconciliation to be a critical activity in reducing re-admissions, ER visits and medication errors. Recognizing the importance and complexity of medication reconciliation, the American Medical Association (AMA) convened an expert panel of physicians and pharmacists from across the United States to address medication reconciliation in the context of medication safety and, specifically, the physician’s role in medication reconciliation.
 
They determined through their discussion that medication reconciliation is essential to optimize the safe and effective use of medications. It is one element in the process of therapeutic use of medications and medication management for which physicians are ultimately held legally accountable.
 
Yet, questions remain as to when and by whom medication reconciliation should be done. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, medication reconciliation should be done at every transition of care in which new medications are ordered or existing orders are rewritten. Professionals at the point of care need to own the process in order to ensure consumer safety.
 
Help is on the way for professionals who seek to improve the process. Through the Recovery Act, the federal government and selected state government grants are funding health information exchanges (HIE) and are committing to tax refunds for hospitals and physicians who invest in electronic medical records.
 
Join us as we continue our series on the Patient Centered Health Care Home as a model to improve the delivery of care. One of the key duties of the PCHCH team will be to implement the process of medication reconciliation in the coordination of care. To learn about this important practice, gather your team to participate in a webinar where we will discuss medication reconciliation and how through application of the process, improvement in medication adherence and enhanced patient safety can be achieved.
 

Program Objectives

-Define medication reconciliation.
-Identify national patient safety strategies and quality initiatives in medication reconciliation.
-Explore interdisciplinary competencies needed to successfully perform medication reconciliation.

Our Webinar Will Answer These Questions
-What is medication reconciliation?
-Who is responsible for medication reconciliation?
-When should medication reconciliation be done?
-How is medication reconciliation done?
-What are the barriers to medication reconciliation?
-What tools are available to reconcile medications?
-What is the process if there are issues with medication found during the process?
-What is the education process for practitioners, the healthcare team and the patient?
-How should the process and outcome of the medication reconciliation be documented?
-Are Accreditation Organizations requiring compliance with medication reconciliation? 
 
More Details >>