Medication Reconciliation: Reducing Risk for Medication Misadventure During Transition from Hospital to Assisted Living

Abstract

The discharge of older adults from hospital to home has been associated with poor outcomes. It is well documented that performing medication reconciliation at every transition point is critical to ensuring patient safety, preventing unnecessary rehospitalizations, and reducing the risk for medication misadventures. However, the medication reconciliation process is not well executed in numerous institutions and possibly not at all in many assisted living facilities (ALFs). Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine medication discrepancies that occur as a result of transitioning from hospitals to ALFs and to explore the role of nurses regarding medication reconciliation in ALFs. A comparison of medication records for 80 residents ages 65 and older revealed that 86.2% of resident records had at least one medication discrepancy. These results represent an opportunity for nurses to be involved with post-acute care communication and medication reconciliation to improve safe transitions for residents in ALFs.