Analysis of Inpatient Ward Medication Reconciliation Process and Medication Errors in a Community Hospital

Abstract

Background: Medication reconciliation (MR) is a crucial process in preventing medication errors (MEs), especially during transitions of care.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the MR process and the occurrence of MEs in the inpatient setting at Had Samran Chalermphrakiat 80^th Anniversary Hospital.

Method: A retrospective descriptive design in which 567 inpatient data and 48 reported ME incidents between October 2024 and March 2025 were analyzed.

Results: The findings revealed that the 420 of inpatients (74.07%) used the chronic medication list from Had Samran Hospital, while the rest used the chronic medication list from other healthcare facilities. The average time to complete MR was 4 hours and 2 minutes, while the average time to issue the initial medication order was 3 hours and 40 minutes. Factors significantly associated with the duration of MR (p-value < 0.05, Kruskal-Wallis test) included the referring healthcare facility of patients’ pre-existing medication information, prescribing patterns at Had Samran Hospital, disease categories, and the periods of healthcare utilization at Had Samran Hospital. Analysis of MEs revealed that cardiovascular medications accounted for 18 MEs, the highest proportion (37.50%), with errors occurring most frequently during the prescribing and pre-dispensing stages (each accounting for 37.50%). The severity of incidents was categorized primarily as category B and C. A statistically significant association was found between the stage of the medication-use process and the severity of MEs.

Conclusion: The MR process took an average longer time than the issuance of initial medication orders, which may contribute to the risk of MEs. Accordingly, improving the timeliness of the medication reconciliation system is warranted to minimize potential risks and enhance patient safety.