Conciliação medicamentosa na admissão de pacientes transplantados renais em um hospital universitário / Medication reconciliation in the admission of kidney transplant patients to a university hospital

Introdução:O presente estudo considerou conciliações medicamentosas realizadas na admissão hospitalar de pacientes transplantados renais e intervenções farmacêuticas decorrentes desse processo.Métodos:Trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado no período de julho de 2018 a julho de 2019 no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Foram coletadas as características dos pacientes, as conciliações medicamentosas realizadas pelo farmacêutico clínico, as discrepâncias identificadas pelo mesmo (intencionais e não intencionais) e o resultado das intervenções. Os medicamentos foram classificados de acordo com a Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC).Resultados:Dos 719 pacientes acompanhados pelo farmacêutico clínico, 175 tiveram a conciliação medicamentosa de admissão realizada, desses, 56 apresentaram discrepâncias não intencionais. Encontramos a média de 2,2 medicamentos omissos por prescrição com desvio padrão de 1,3 medicamentos. No total, foram realizadas 122 intervenções farmacêuticas, sendo que em 61,5% houve adesão por parte da equipe médica. A classe terapêutica com maior ocorrência (43,4%) de discrepâncias não intencionais foi a que atuava sobre o aparelho cardiovascular. As variáveis observadas foram sexo, número de medicamentos nas intervenções (ambas com associação significativa com a adesão médica), idade, tempo de internação, número de medicamentos na internação e número de medicamentos de uso prévio (estas últimas sem associação significativa com a adesão médica). Conclusões:A conciliação medicamentosa previne possíveis erros de medicação, uma vez que a identificação das discrepâncias não intencionais na prescrição médica gera sinalizações que são levadas pelo farmacêutico clínico à equipe assistente, a fim garantir o uso seguro e correto dos medicamentos durante a internação hospitalar.

Introduction:This study considered medication reconciliations performed on hospital admission of kidney transplant patients and pharmaceutical interventions resulting from this process.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study carried out from July 2018 to July 2019 at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. The characteristics of the patients, the medication reconciliations performed by the clinical pharmacist, the discrepancies identified by the same (intentional and unintentional) and the result of the interventions were collected. The drugs were classified according to the Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC). Results:Of the 719 patients monitored by the clinical pharmacist, 175 had medication reconciliation on admission performed, of which 56 had unintentional discrepancies. We found an average of 2.2 missing medications per prescription with a standard deviation of 1.3 medications. In total, 122 pharmaceutical interventions were performed, and in 61.5% there was adherence by the medical team. The therapeutic class with the highest occurrence (43.4%) of unintentional discrepancies was that which acted on the cardiovascular system. The variables observed were gender, number of medications in interventions (both with a significant association with medical adherence), age, length of stay, number of medications in hospitalization and number of medications previously used (the latter without a significant association with medical adherence).Conclusions:Medication reconciliation prevents possible medication errors, since the identification of unintentional discrepancies in the medical prescription generates signals that are taken by the clinical pharmacist to the assistant team, in order to guarantee the safe and correct use of medications during hospitalization.

Conciliação medicamentosa em hospital universitário: estratégia de segurança em pacientes neurocirúrgicos / Medication reconciliation in a university hospital: safety strategy in neurosurgical patients / Conciliación de medicamentos en un hospital universitario: estrategia de seguridad en pacientes neuroquirúrgicos

Esse trabalho teve como objetivo identificar as discrepâncias medicamentosas, por meio do serviço de conciliação de medicamentosa, em pacientes admitidos na clínica cirúrgica de uma unidade especializada no atendimento de doença relacionadas ao sistema neuromuscular na cidade de Manaus, Amazonas. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo e prospectivo, realizado no período de setembro a dezembro de 2020 em pacientes submetidos a conciliação medicamentosa. Na primeira etapa realizou-se a anamnese farmacêutica em formulário semiestruturado e foi elaborada a melhor história possível de medicamentos (MHPM). Os medicamentos prescritos na admissão foram comparados com a MHPM e as discrepâncias foram identificadas e classificadas quanto a intencionalidade e tipo. Ao total 54 pacientes foram incluídos no estudo, sendo que para 32 foi realizada a conciliação medicamentosa por usarem medicamentos de uso contínuo. Foram identificadas 20 discrepâncias intencionais, 3 discrepâncias intencionais não documentadas e 12 discrepâncias não intencionais. Omissão de medicamentos foi o tipo de discrepância mais comum (86%). Diante do exposto, concluímos que a conciliação medicamentosa mostrou-se um importante recurso para identificação de discrepâncias na transição de cuidado de pacientes com doenças neurológicas, principalmente no que se refere à omissão de medicamentos. As intervenções farmacêuticas a partir das discrepâncias encontradas, conseguiram mitigar erros de medicação e possíveis eventos adversos, aumentando a segurança do paciente.

This work aimed to identify medication discrepancies, through the medi- cation reconciliation service, in patients admitted to the surgical clinic of a unit special- ized in treating diseases related to the neuromuscular system in the city of Manaus, Ama- zonas. This is a descriptive and prospective study, carried out from September to Decem- ber 2020 in patients undergoing medication reconciliation. In the first stage, the pharma- ceutical anamnesis was carried out in a semi-structured form and the best possible medi- cation history (MHPM) was prepared. Medications prescribed on admission were com- pared with the MHPM and discrepancies were identified and classified according to in- tentionality and type. 54 patients were included in the study, and for 32 medication rec- onciliation was performed because they used continuous medication. A total of 20 inten- tional discrepancies, 3 intentional undocumented discrepancies and 12 unintentional dis- crepancies were identified. Medication omission was the most common type of discrep- ancy (86%). We conclude that medication reconciliation proved to be an important re- source for identifying discrepancies in the transition of care for patients with neurological diseases, especially with regard to medication omission. Pharmaceutical interventions, based on the discrepancies found, managed to mitigate medication errors and possible adverse events, increasing patient safety.

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar las discrepancias de medicación a través del servicio de reconciliación de medicamentos, en pacientes internados en la clínica quirúrgica de una unidad especializada en el tratamiento de enfermedades relacio- nadas con el sistema neuromuscular en la ciudad de Manaus, Amazonas. Este es un estu- dio descriptivo y prospectivo, realizado de septiembre a diciembre de 2020 en pacientes en conciliación de medicación. En la primera etapa se realizó la anamnesis farmacéutica de forma semiestructurada y se elaboró el mejor historial de medicación posible (MHPM). Los medicamentos prescritos al ingreso se compararon con el MHPM y se identificaron las discrepancias y se clasificaron según la intencionalidad y el tipo. Un total de 54 pacientes fueron incluidos en el estudio, y a 32 se les realizó conciliación de medi- cación por utilizar medicación continua. Se identificaron un total de 20 discrepancias in- tencionales, 3 discrepancias intencionales no documentadas y 12 discrepancias no inten- cionales. La omisión de medicamentos fue el tipo más común de discrepancia (86%). Concluimos que la conciliación de medicamentos demostró ser un recurso importante para identificar discrepancias en la transición de la atención a pacientes con enfermedades neurológicas, especialmente en lo que respecta a la omisión de medicamentos. Las inter- venciones farmacéuticas, en base a las discrepancias encontradas, lograron mitigar errores de medicación y posibles eventos adversos, aumentando la seguridad del paciente PALABRAS CLAVE: Conciliación de Medicamentos; Seguridad del Paciente; Servicio de Farmacia Hospitalaria; Neurología.

Medication reconciliation in pediatrics: a validation of instruments to prevent medication errors / Conciliación medicamentosa en pediatría: validación de instrumentos para la prevención de errores en la medicación / Reconciliação medicamentosa em pediatria: validação de instrumentos para a prevenção de erros na medicação

ABSTRACT Objectives: to develop and validate the content of two instruments for promoting medication reconciliation for the transition of care of hospitalized children. Methods: methodological study, conducted in five stages: scope review for conceptual structure; elaboration of the initial version; content validation with five specialists using the Delphi technique; reassessment; and construction of the final version of the instruments. A content validity index of at least 0.80 was adopted. Results: three rounds of evaluation were carried out to reach the validity index of the proposed contents, whereas a new analysis of 50% of the 20 items of the instrument aimed at families, and 28.5% of the 21 items aimed at professionals was necessary. The instrument aimed at families reached an index of 0.93, and the instrument for professionals, 0.90. Conclusions: the proposed instruments were validated. It is now possible to proceed with practical implementation studies to identify their influence on safety during medication reconciliation at transition of care.

RESUMEN Objetivos: elaborar y validar contenido de dos instrumentos para la promoción de conciliación medicamentosa en la transición de atención de niños hospitalizados. Métodos: estudio metodológico realizado en cinco etapas: revisión de ámbito para estructura conceptual; elaboración de versión inicial; validación del contenido con cinco especialistas utilizando la Técnica Delphi; re-evaluación; y construcción de versión final de los instrumentos. Adoptado índice de validez de contenido, como mínimo, 0.80. Resultados: fueron realizadas tres rondas de evaluación para alcance de índice de validez en los contenidos propuestos, siendo necesario nuevo análisis de 50% de los 20 ítems del instrumento destinado a familias, y 28,5% de los 21 ítems destinados a profesionales. Instrumento dirigido a familias alcanzó índice de 0,93; y el instrumento, a profesionales, 0,90. Conclusiones: instrumentos propuestos fueron validados, siendo posible proseguir con estudio de implementación práctica para identificar influencia en la seguridad durante la conciliación medicamentosa en la transición de atención.

RESUMO Objetivos: elaborar e validar o conteúdo de dois instrumentos para a promoção da reconciliação medicamentosa na transição dos cuidados de crianças hospitalizadas. Métodos: estudo metodológico realizado em cinco etapas: revisão de escopo para estrutura conceitual; elaboração da versão inicial; validação do conteúdo com cinco especialistas utilizando a Técnica Delphi; reavaliação; e construção da versão final dos instrumentos. Adotou-se o índice de validade de conteúdo de, no mínimo, 0.80. Resultados: foram realizadas três rodadas de avaliação para alcance de índice de validade nos conteúdos propostos, sendo necessária nova análise de 50% dos 20 itens do instrumento destinado às famílias, e 28,5% dos 21 itens destinados aos profissionais. O instrumento direcionado às famílias atingiu índice de 0,93; e o instrumento, aos profissionais, 0,90. Conclusões: os instrumentos propostos foram validados, sendo possível prosseguir com estudo de implementação prática para identificar influência na segurança durante a reconciliação medicamentosa na transição dos cuidados.

Patients' medication reconciliation in a university hospital

Abstract Medication reconciliation is a strategy to minimize medication errors at the transition points of care. This study aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of medication reconciliation in identifying and resolving drug discrepancies in the admission of adult patients to a university hospital. The study was carried out in a 300-bed large general public hospital, in which a reconciled list was created between drugs prescribed at admission and those used at pre-admission, adapting prescriptions from the pharmacotherapeutic guidelines of the hospital studied and the patients' clinical conditions. One hundred seven patients were included, of which 67,3% were women, with a mean age of 56 years. Two hundred twenty-nine discrepancies were found in 92 patients; of these, 21.4% were unintentional in 31.8% of patients. The pharmacist performed 49 interventions, and 47 were accepted. Medication omission was the highest occurrence (63.2%), followed by a different dose (24.5%). Thirteen (26.5%) of the 49 unintentional discrepancies included high-alert medications according to ISMP Brazil classification. Medication reconciliation emerges as an important opportunity for the review of pharmacotherapy at transition points of care, based on the high number of unintentional discrepancies identified and resolved. During the drug reconciliation process, the interventions prevented the drugs from being misused or omitted during the patient's hospitalization and possibly after discharge.

Medication errors in critical patients during medication reconciliation: analyses and clinical management

Abstract Medication errors (ME) are frequent in the admission of patients to the ICU and can be identified and prevented through medication reconciliation (MR). Our aim was to evaluate the incidence, type and severity of MEs and associated factors, identified during MR in the ICU. This is a prospective, analytical approach, performed in the ICU of a private hospital, where the MRs were evaluated from April to June 2016. The SPSS and Stata programs were used to analyse the data. Logistic regression was performed to determine the factors associated with MEs. MR was performed with 136 patients, of whom 126 (92.6%) used drugs regularly. The incidence of MEs was 16.3% (95% CI 11.5-21.2). The main classes of drugs involved were those acting on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. There were 128 pharmaceutical interventions (acceptance: 71.1%). Regarding severity, 65.5% (n=80) of the errors reached the patient, but there was no harm. The risk factors for MEs identified were: age ≥60 years, number of comorbidities >1 and previous use of drugs ≥9. The incidence of MEs found and the significant association with age, comorbidities and polymedication alert to the need for specific attention to prevent admission errors in the most susceptible patient groups.

Getting to Complete and Accurate Medication Lists During the Transition to Home Health Care.

OBJECTIVES: Characterize the work that home health care (HHC) admission nurses complete as part of the medication reconciliation tasks, explore the impact of shared electronic medication data (interoperability) from the referral source on medication reconciliation, and highlight opportunities to enhance medication reconciliation with respect to transition in care to HHC agencies. DESIGN: Observational field study. SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: Three diverse Pennsylvania HHC agencies; each used different electronic health record systems with different interoperability characteristics. Six nurses per site admitted 2 patients each (36 patients total). METHODS: Researchers observed the admission process in the patient home and at the HHC agency. The nurses' tasks related to medication reconciliation were characterized by (1) number and change types (ie, medications dropped or added; changes to dose, frequency/administration time, or tablet types) made to the referrer medication list during and after the home visit, and (2) reasons that the nurse called the health provider (doctor, pharmacy) to resolve medication-related issues. Differences between interoperable and non-interoperable observations were explored. RESULTS: Polypharmacy (on average, study patients were taking more than 12 medications) and high-risk medications (on average, more than 8 per patient) were pervasive. For 91% of patients, the number of medications decreased between pre- and post-reconciliation medication lists; 41% of the medications required changes. Nurses using interoperable systems needed to make fewer changes than nurses using non-interoperable systems. In two-thirds of observations, the nurse called a provider. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Changes to the referrer medication list and calls to providers highlighted the nurses' effort to complete the medication reconciliation. Interoperability appeared to reduce the number of changes required, but did not eliminate changes or calls to providers. We highlight opportunities to enhance medication reconciliation with respect to transition in care to HHC agencies.

Medication discrepancies in a hospital in Southern Brazil: the importance of medication reconciliation for patient safety

Medication discrepancies are of great concern in hospitals because they pose risks to patients and increase health care costs. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of inconsistent medication prescriptions to adult patients admitted to a hospital in southern Santa Catarina, Brazil. This was a patient safety study on patients recruited between November 2015 and June 2016. The participants were interviewed and had their medical records reviewed. Discrepant medications were considered those that did not match between the list of medicines taken at home and the prescribed drugs for treatment in a hospital setting. Of the 394 patients included, 98.5% took continuous-use medications at home, with an average of 5.5 medications per patient. Discrepancies totaled 80.2%, The independent variables associated with the discrepancies were systemic arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, vascular disease, number of medications taken at home, and poor documentation of the medications in the medical record. Findings from this study allowed us to conclude there was a high rate of prescription medication misuse. Medication reconciliation is crucial in reducing these errors. Pharmacists can help reduce these medication-related errors and the associated risks and complications.

User-Centered Design of a Patient Medication Reconciliation Module in an Integrated Personal Health Record.

With the adoption of Personal Health Records (PHRs) integrated with Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and the increase of accessibility to data, institutions have the possibility of exchanging medical information with their patients. Involving the patient reported data has the potential to improve the quality of care and safety and create a feedback loop between patients and health professionals. The objective of this study is to describe a user-centered design of a module for medication list with reconciliation functionalities managed by the patients themselves, and connected to their EHR for supervision and medical validation. We conducted 42 interviews (31 patients and 11 general practitioners). From the interviews, we performed qualitative analysis and extracted the main findings from comments in both groups. Correctitude rate was 57 to 100%, and satisfaction of use (SUS) maximum was 96% and 92%. These findings may be relevant to patients, health care providers, and policymakers.

Reconciliação de medicamentos: processo de implantação em um complexo hospitalar com a utilização de sistema eletrônico / Medication reconciliation: implantation process in a hospital complex with the use of electronic system

RESUMO Este estudo avaliou a implantação da reconciliação de medicamentos em um hospital multibloco, filantrópico e de ensino com a utilização de um sistema eletrônico para realizar o registro da atividade com atuação multiprofissional. Foram capacitados 438 profissionais da enfermagem sobre a reconciliação de medicamentos. De outubro de 2017 a março de 2018, foram registradas pelo enfermeiro, no prontuário eletrônico, a informação sobre uso prévio de medicamentos para 1.379 pacientes. Foram reconciliados pelo farmacêutico apenas 347 destes registros, sendo que 106 precisaram de intervenção com médico prescritor. O número de pacientes que tiveram o medicamento informado como de uso prévio prescrito sem nenhuma alteração foi de 180, os que tiveram o medicamento prescrito com alguma alteração foram 47, e os que não possuíam os medicamentos informados prescritos foram 106. A utilização de sistemas informatizados pode ser útil para as equipes executarem a reconciliação medicamentosa, mas depende da correta utilização do sistema e treinamento das equipes. O acompanhamento diário do farmacêutico clínico aumenta a segurança do paciente quanto ao uso de medicamentos dentro dos hospitais, entretanto, para executar a atividade, é necessário realizar algumas medidas de melhoria para obter o cumprimento da reconciliação de medicamentos dos pacientes na sua totalidade.

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the implementation of medication reconciliation in a philanthropic, teaching, and multi-block hospital with the use of an electronic system to record the multidisciplinary activity. A total of 438 nursing professionals were trained on medication reconciliation. From October 2017 to March 2018, the information about previous use of drugs for 1,379 patients was registered by the nurse in the electronic system. Only 347 of those records were reconciled by the pharmacist, and 106 needed intervention of the prescribing doctor. The number of patients who had the medication prescribed without any change was 180, 47 had the medication prescribed with some change, and 106 did not have the prescribed the medications of previous use. The use of computerized systems can be useful for the teams to perform medication reconciliation, but it depends on the correct use of the system and training of the teams. The daily follow-up of the clinical pharmacist increases patient safety regarding the use of drugs within the hospitals, but to perform the activity some improvement measures are necessary to obtain compliance with the patients' medication reconciliation in their entirety.

Medication discrepancies and potentially inadequate prescriptions in elderly adults with polypharmacy in ambulatory care.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to describe the frequency and type of medication discrepancies (MD) through medication reconciliation and to describe the frequency of potentially inadequate prescription (PIP) medications using screening tool of older persons' prescriptions criteria. DESIGN: Cross-sectional comparison of electronic medical record (EMR) medication lists and patient's self-report of their comprehensive medication histories obtained through telephone interviews. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Elderly individuals (>65 years old) with more than ten medications recorded in their EMR, who had not been hospitalized in the past year and were not under domiciliary care, affiliated to a private community hospital. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes were the proportion of patients with MD and PIP. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of types of discrepancies and PIP. We analyzed possible associations between these variables and other demographic and clinical variables. RESULTS: Out of 214 randomly selected individuals, 150 accepted to participate (70%). The mean number of medications referred to be consumed by patients was 9.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] =8.6-9.6), and the mean number of prescribed medications in their EMR was 13.9 (95% CI = 13.3-14.5). Ninety-nine percent had at least one discrepancy (total 1252 discrepancies); 46% consumed at least one prescription not documented in their EMR and 93% did not consume at least one of the prescriptions documented in their EMR. In 77% of the patients, a PIP was detected (total 186), 87% of them were at least within one of the following categories: Prolonged used of benzodiazepines or proton pump inhibitors and the use of aspirin for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of MD and PIP within the community of elderly adults affiliated to a Private University Hospital. Future interventions should be aimed at reducing the number of PIP to prevent adverse drug events and improve EMR accuracy by lowering medications discrepancies.

'What is not written does not exist': the importance of proper documentation of medication use history.

Medications are perceived as health risk factors, because they might cause damage if used improperly. In this context, an adequate assessment of medication use history should be encouraged, especially in transitions of care to avoid unintended medication discrepancies (UMDs). In a case-controlled study, we investigated potential risk factors for UMDs at hospital admission and found that 150 (42%) of the 358 patients evaluated had one or more UMDs. We were surprised to find that there was no record of a patient and/or relative interview on previous use of medication in 117 medical charts of adult patients (44.8%). Similarly, in the medical charts of 52 (53.6%) paediatric patients, there was no record of parents and/or relatives interviews about prior use of medications. One hundred thirty-seven medical charts of adult patients (52.4%) and seventy-two medical charts of paediatric patients (74.2%) had no record about medication allergies and intolerances. In other words, there was a lack of basic documentation regarding the patient's medication use history. As patients move between settings in care, there is insufficient tracking of verbal and written information related to medication changes, which results in a progressive and cumulative loss of information, as evidenced by problems associated with clinical transfers and medication orders. Proper documentation of medication information during transfer is a key step in the procedure; hence, it should be rightly performed. It remains unclear whether interviews, and other investigations about medication use history have been performed but have not been recorded as health-care data. Therefore, it is crucial to the improvement of medication use safety that documentation of all drug-related information-even if not directly related to the actual event-become routine practice in health-care organizations, since 'what is not written does not exist'.

Discrepâncias entre os registros de prontuários acerca da farmacoterapia de pacientes pediátricos com fibrose cística / Pharmacotherapy discrepancies in medical records of pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis

Introdução: Discrepâncias nos registros eletrônicos de medicamentos são frequentes e podem levar a erros relacionados a medicamentos. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar as discrepâncias entre os registros médicos e farmacêuticos da terapia medicamentosa de pacientes com fibrose cística de um ambulatório multidisciplinar de pneumologia infantil do Sul do Brasil Métodos: Estudo transversal com coleta de dados retrospectiva através de prontuário eletrônico de pacientes que foram atendidos no ambulatório de um centro de referência para Fibrose Cística entre maio e junho de 2016. Os registros médicos e farmacêuticos foram comparados e as discrepâncias quantificadas e classificadas. Resultados: Foram analisados 81 registros de consultas ambulatoriais de 76 pacientes. Oitenta medicamentos constavam nos registros, sendo os mais frequentes polivitamínicos, enzimas pancreáticas, dornase alfa, ácido ursodesoxicólico e solução salina hipertônica. Foram identificadas discrepâncias em 96% dos registros, totalizando 245 discrepâncias, entre elas omissões de medicamentos no registro farmacêutico (102) e no médico (80), além de doses (41) e regimes terapêuticos (23) diferentes. Foram observadas omissões de dose no registro farmacêutico (63) e no médico (52) e omissões de regime (11) em ambos. Conclusão: A elevada taxa de discrepâncias corrobora com os resultados de diversos estudos. A conciliação tem o objetivo de promover o uso racional e diminuir os erros relacionados a medicamentos, podendo ser realizada de maneira sistematizada. A avaliação da qualidade do uso de medicamentos pode ser feita através da utilização de indicadores, sendo as discrepâncias um indicador sensível para este objetivo (AU)

Introduction: Discrepancies in electronic records of medication are frequent and may lead to drug-related errors. This study aims to analyze discrepancies between medical and pharmaceutical records of pharmacotherapy in patients with cystic fibrosis in a multidisciplinary pediatric pulmonology outpatient hospital in southern Brazil. Methods: Transversal study with retrospective data collection through electronic medical records of patients assisted in the outpatient room of a reference center for cystic fibrosis within May and June 2016. Both records, medical and pharmaceutical, were compared and unconformities were quantified and classified. Results: An amount of 81 records of 76 patients were analyzed. A total of 80 medications were observed in the records, most frequently multivitamins, pancreatic enzymes, dornase alpha, ursodesoxycholic acid and hypertonic saline solution. The discrepancies were present in 96% of records, totaling 245 discrepancies, among them omissions of medication in the pharmaceutical records (102) and in the medical records (80), doses (41) and different therapy regimes (23). We observed omissions in pharmaceutical records (63), in medical records (52) and in both (11). Conclusion: The high level of discrepancies endorses results of a variety of studies. Reconciliation has the objective of promoting rational use and diminishing errors related to medication, when performed systematically. The evaluation of quality use of medication might be performed through the use of indicators, considering the discrepancy a sensible indicator for this goal (AU)

Conciliación farmacoterapéutica en las áreas de transición en la atención del paciente en un hospital pediátrico de alta complejidad / Medication reconciliation at areas of transition in the patient care at a tertiary pediatric hospital

Introducción: La Conciliación Farmacoterapéutica garantiza el tratamiento medicamentoso correcto (dosis, vía y frecuencia) en relación a la situación actual del paciente. Objetivos: Determinar el grado de seguridad farmacoterapéutica en todas las transiciones del cuidado del paciente. Métodos: estudio descriptivo, transversal. Se realizó conciliación en las primeras 24 hs del ingreso en CIM (salas de internación de cuidados intermedios o moderados), Emergencia o UCI. Se incluyeron pacientes crónicos, que recibían más de 4 medicamentos, con readmisiones frecuentes y/o fármacos de bajo índice terapéutico. Se entrevistó a los pacientes/cuidadores, con previa firma del consentimiento informado y se recolectaron datos de la HCE para comparar el "mejor listado de medicación" obtenido con la indicación médica actual para analizar las discrepancias encontradas y resolverlas. Resultados: Se conciliaron en total 320 pacientes, encontrándose 1343 discrepancias totales, de las cuales 220 (16%) fueron errores de medicación. Se conciliaron 105 pacientes en la etapa emergencia (donde hubo más errores) 101 en la etapa CIM y 92 en la etapa UCI. El 42% de los pacientes sufrió al menos 1 error de medicación (omisión de indicación, el más frecuente). La mayoría de los errores no llegaron al paciente, esto fue evitado en el 52% por el padre y en el 39% por el farmacéutico. El 7% de los errores que llegaron al paciente causaron daños. En la conciliación al alta se halló que no se asienta en la HC la farmacoterapia de base. Conclusiones: La magnitud de los errores hallados es considerable, por lo que debería implementarse en forma rutinaria un programa de conciliación terapéutica, con énfasis en Emergencia (AU)

Introduction: Medication reconciliation guarantees adequate drug treatment (dose, route, and frequency) according to the current state of the patient. Aims: To determine the degree of medication safety in all transitions of patient care. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Reconciliation was carried out in the first 24 hours after admission to the ward (intermediate or moderate care wards), emergency department, or ICU. Chronic patients receiving more than 4 different drugs, with frequent readmissions, and/or narrow therapeutic index medications were included. Patients/caregivers were interviewed after signing informed consent and data were collected from the medical chart to compare the "best list of medications" obtained with the current medical indications to analyze discrepancies and resolve them. Results: Overall, reconciliation was carried out in 320 patients and 1343 discrepancies were observed, of which 220 (16%) were found to be medication errors. Reconciliation was carried out in 105 patients at the emergency department (where most errors were made), in 101 on the wards, and in 92 in the ICU. In 42% of the patients at least one medication error was observed (being omission of the indication the most common). The majority of errors did not affect the patient; they were avoided by the parent in 52% and by the pharmacist in 39%. Seven percent of the errors that did affect the patient caused damage. At reconciliation at discharge we found that in the medical chart baseline pharmacotherapy was not recorded. Conclusions: The magnitude of errors found was considerable and therefore a program of medication reconciliation should be routinely implemented, with emphasis on the emergency department (AU)

Automated Communication Tools and Computer-Based Medication Reconciliation to Decrease Hospital Discharge Medication Errors.

This study sought to determine the effects of automated primary care physician (PCP) communication and patient safety tools, including computerized discharge medication reconciliation, on discharge medication errors and posthospitalization patient outcomes, using a pre-post quasi-experimental study design, in hospitalized medical patients with ≥2 comorbidities and ≥5 chronic medications, at a single center. The primary outcome was discharge medication errors, compared before and after rollout of these tools. Secondary outcomes were 30-day rehospitalization, emergency department visit, and PCP follow-up visit rates. This study found that discharge medication errors were lower post intervention (odds ratio = 0.57; 95% confidence interval = 0.44-0.74; P < .001). Clinically important errors, with the potential for serious or life-threatening harm, and 30-day patient outcomes were not significantly different between study periods. Thus, automated health system-based communication and patient safety tools, including computerized discharge medication reconciliation, decreased hospital discharge medication errors in medically complex patients.

Analysis of the discrepancies identified during medication reconciliation on patient admission in cardiology units: a descriptive study / Análise das discrepâncias encontradas durante a conciliação medicamentosa na admissão de pacientes em unidades de cardiologia: um estudo descritivo / Análisis de las discrepancias encontradas durante la conciliación medicamentosa en la admisión de pacientes en unidades de cardiología: un estudio descriptivo

ABSTRACT Objectives: this observational study aimed to describe the discrepancies identified during medication reconciliation on patient admission to cardiology units in a large hospital. Methods: the medication history of patients was collected within 48 hours after admission, and intentional and unintentional discrepancies were classified as omission, duplication, dose, frequency, timing, and route of drug administration. Results: most of the patients evaluated were women (58.0%) with a mean age of 59 years, and 75.5% of the patients had a Charlson comorbidity index score between 1 and 3. Of the 117 discrepancies found, 50.4% were unintentional. Of these, 61.0% involved omission, 18.6% involved dosage, 18.6% involved timing, and 1.7% involved the route of drug administration. Conclusion: this study revealed a high prevalence of discrepancies, most of which were related to omissions, and 50% were unintentional. These results reveal the number of drugs that are not reincorporated into the treatment of patients, which can have important clinical consequences.

RESUMO Objetivos: este estudo observacional teve como objetivo descrever discrepâncias encontradas na realização de conciliação medicamentosa de pacientes admitidos em unidades de cardiologia de um hospital de grande porte. Métodos: a história de medicação dos pacientes foi coletada dentro de 48h após a admissão, e as discrepâncias, identificadas como intencionais ou não intencionais, foram classificadas como de: omissão, duplicidade, dose, frequência, intervalo e via. Resultados: a maioria dos pacientes incluídos pertençia ao sexo feminino (58,0%), com idade média de 59 anos, e com índice de comorbidades de Charlson entre 1 e 3 (75,5% dos casos). Das 117 discrepâncias encontradas, 50,4% foram não intencionais. Dessas, 61,0% foram de omissão, 18,6% de dose, 18,6% de intervalo e 1,7% de via de administração. Conclusão: o estudo mostra a alta prevalência de discrepâncias, principalmente de omissão, sendo quase metade não intencionais. Esse dado remete ao número de medicamentos que não são reincorporados ao tratamento dos pacientes, podendo repercutir em consequências clínicas importantes.

RESUMEN Objetivos: este estudio observacional tuvo como objetivo describir discrepancias encontradas en la realización de la conciliación medicamentosa de pacientes admitidos en unidades de cardiología de un hospital de gran porte. Métodos: la historia de medicación de los pacientes fue recolectada dentro de 48h después de la admisión, y las discrepancias, identificadas como intencionales o no intencionales, fueron clasificadas como: omisión, duplicidad, dosis, frecuencia, intervalo y vía. Resultados: la mayoría de los pacientes incluidos pertenecía al sexo femenino (58,0%), con edad promedio de 59 años, y con índice de comorbilidad de Charlson entre 1 y 3 (75,5% de los casos). De las 117 discrepancias encontradas, 50,4% fueron no intencionales. De estas, 61,0% fueron de omisión, 18,6% de dosis, 18,6% de intervalo y 1,7% de vía de administración. Conclusión: el estudio muestra la alta prevalencia de discrepancias, principalmente de omisión, siendo casi mitad de ellas no intencionales. Ese dato nos indica el número de medicamentos que no son reincorporados al tratamiento de los pacientes, lo que puede repercutir en consecuencias clínicas importantes.

Medication reconciliation as a strategy for preventing medication errors

ABSTRACT One of the current barriers proposed to avoid possible medication errors, and consequently harm to patients, is the medication reconciliation, a process in which drugs used by patients prior to hospitalization can be compared with those prescribed in the hospital. This study describes the results of a pharmacist based reconciliation conducted during six months in clinical units of a university hospital. Fourteen patients (23.33%) had some kind of problem related to medicine. The majority (80%) of medication errors were due to medication omission. Pharmaceutical interventions acceptance level was 90%. The results suggest that pharmacists based reconciliation can have a relevant role in preventing medication errors and adverse events. Moreover, the detailed interview, conducted by the pharmacist, is able to rescue important information regarding the use of drugs, allowing to avoid medications errors and patient injury.

RESUMO Uma das barreiras propostas para se evitar possíveis erros relacionados a medicamentos e, consequentemente, que danos acometam o paciente, é a reconciliação medicamentosa no ato da internação, processo no qual se comparam os medicamentos usados pelos pacientes previamente à internação com os prescritos no âmbito hospitalar. Este trabalho descreve os resultados de seis meses de um processo de reconciliação conduzido por farmacêutico em unidades clínicas de um hospital universitário. Quatorze pacientes (23.33%) tiveram algum tipo de problema relacionado ao uso de medicamentos. A maioria dos erros envolvendo medicamentos (80%) estava relacionada à omissão de medicamentos. As intervenções farmacêuticas tiveram 90% de aceitação pelos médicos. Os resultados sugerem que a atuação de farmacêuticos na reconciliação medicamentosa pode desempenhar papel relevante na prevenção de erros de medicamentos e eventos adversos. Além disso, a entrevista detalhada conduzida por um farmacêutico se mostrou capaz de resgatar informações importantes sobre o uso dos medicamentos, permitindo evitar erros e danos ao paciente.

Análise de um programa para otimização da transição do cuidado de pacientes em terapia antimicrobiana / Analysis of a program to optimize the transition of care for patients in antimicrobial therapy

A transição do cuidado é complexa em virtude da vulnerabilidade dos eventos que comprometem a segurança e a efetividade da farmacoterapia. Outra fragilidade é o acesso aos medicamentos prescritos para uso domiciliar. Objetivo: Apresentar os resultados de um projeto de orientação ao paciente em alta e identificar a biodisponibilidade dos antimicrobianos orais dispensados. Método: estudo retrospectivo, descritivo e exploratório. Resultados: 138 pacientes foram atendidos no programa durante 12 meses e 37,7% eram provenientes do pronto socorro. Os beta lactâmicos e fluorquinolonas foram os antimicrobianos mais solicitados. Discussão: O programa implementado contribuiu para otimizar o controle e a prevenção de infecções associadas à assistência e à gestão hospitalar assim como para fortalecer o processo de transição dos cuidados terciários para os oferecidos pela Atenção Primária em Saúde.

Introduction: The transition of care is complex by virtue of the vulnerability of the events that jeopardize the reliability and effectiveness of pharmacotherapy. Another fragility is the access to prescription drugs for home use. Objective: To present the results of a Discharged Patient Guidance Project and to identify the biological availability of the oral antimicrobials dispensed. Method: It is a retrospective, descriptive, and exploratory study. Results: During 12 months, 138 patients were attended by the program and 37.7% came from Emergency Medical Services. Betalactams and fluoroquinolones were the most-requested antimicrobials. Discussion: The program helped optimize control and prevention of infections related to hospital assistance and management, as well as strengthen the transition process from tertiary health care to that offered by primary health care

Reconciliação de medicamentos em hospital universitário / Medication reconciliation at a university hospital / Reonciliación de medicamentos en hospital universitario

Erros de prescrição e administração correspondem a mais de 75% dos erros de medicação em ambiente hospitalare a reconciliação de medicamentos uma alternativa para diminuir tal ocorrência. No Brasil, estudos de reconciliação medicamentosasão incipientes, assim o objetivo do trabalho foi apresentar o perfil dos pacientes e os resultados da reconciliação de medicamentos em unidade hospitalar. Trata-se de estudo transversal prospectivo realizado no Hospital Universitário do Oeste do Paraná, Brasil, em 2011. Foram entrevistados 58 pacientes, 27 (46,5%) possuíam pelo menos uma enfermidade crônica, 24 (41,3%) faziam uso de medicamentos em casa com 15 (62,5%) apresentando pelo menos um tipo de erro relacionado aos medicamentos, sendo o grupo dos anti-hipertensivos 24 (32%) o mais envolvido. Foram encontradas 61 discrepâncias, 49 (80%) não justificadas. As intervenções farmacêuticas foram aceitas em 13 (87%) dos casos. Os pacientes da reconciliação medicamentosa estavam acima dos 50 anos e usavam mais de 3 medicamentos.

Prescribing and administration errors account for more than 75% of medication errors in hospitals, and medicationreconciliation is one way of reducing their occurrence. Studies of medication reconciliation are incipient in Brazil and, accordingly, this study aimed to profile the patients and describe the results of medication reconciliation at a hospital. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at West Paraná University Hospital, Brazil, in 2011. Of the 58 patients interviewed,27 (46.5%) had at least one chronic disease, and 24 (41.3%) used medication at home, with 15 (62.5%) showing at least one type of medication error, the anti-hypertensive pharmacological group being the most involved (24; 32%). Of the 61 discrepancies found, 49 (80%) were not justified. Medication reconciliation was accepted in 13 (87%) cases. The patients involved in medication reconciliation were over 50 years old and used more than 3 drugs.

Errores de prescripción y administración son responsables por más de 75% de los errores de medicación en loshospitales y la reconciliación de medicamentos una alternativa para su reducción. En Brasil, los estudios de reconciliación de medicamentos son incipientes, por eso este trabajo tuvo el objetivo de presentar el perfil de los pacientes y los resultados de la reconciliación de medicamentos en unidad hospitalaria. Estudio transversal prospectivo en el Hospital Universitario del Oeste de Parana, Brasil, en 2011, donde se entrevistó a 58 pacientes. De estos 27 (46,5%) tenían una enfermedad crónica, 24 (41,3%) usaban medicamentos en casa, 15 (62.5%) han tenido al menos un tipo de error relacionado a la medicación ysiendo el grupo de fármacos antihipertensivos 24 - (32%) - el más implicado. Se encontraron 61 discrepancias, 49 (80%) sin justificativa. Las intervenciones farmacéuticas fueron aceptadas en 13 (87%) casos. Los pacientes de la reconciliación de medicamentos eran mayores de 50 años y usaban más de 3 fármacos.