Reducing Medication Errors by Implementing Medication Reconciliation Process Within the First Eight Hours in The Inpatient Unit at Udonthani Hospital

Abstract

         The objective of this study was to assess medication error reduction by implementing medication reconciliation process within  8 hours of patients’ admission to the hospital. The study design was a retrospective descriptive study collected data during 21^st October 2021 and 31^st October 2021 in 55 wards (except for the chemotherapy ward and pediatric ward3  because they were chemotherapy treatment wards that certain time had taken). Sample was patients who had at least one item of chronic disease medication list and scanning the medication list information through the electronic system. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; frequency, percentage and inferential statistics; chi-square.

 A total of 297 patients were included in the study. Medication reconciliation (MR) documents sent within 8 hours of admission were found  68.69%, while those presented with the last dose medication were 27.91%. The incomplete medication reconciliation documents should be corrected and modified within 24 hours, were found only 4.38%. The  medication errors (ME) categorized as levels E to levels I; resulting in temporary harm to death, was zero.

The recommendation for medical personnel should be firstly complete the medical reconciliation process during every patient’s admission to reduce harm of medication errors that could occured and to enhance the patient safety.