Medication reconciliation is the "process of comparing the medications that the patient has been taking prior to the time of admission or entry to a new setting with the medications that the organization is about to provide." The primary purpose of medication reconciliation is to reduce the frequency of medication errors that could result in harm to patients. Medication reconciliation has been shown to improve the accuracy of recorded medication and allergy information, medication adherence, and medication knowledge; it has also been associated with reductions in the incidence of preventable adverse drug events, frequency of physician visits, and frequency of hospital readmissions. Admission drug histories obtained by pharmacists, one component of medication reconciliation, have been associated with reductions in in-hospital mortality. The Safer Healthcare Now! campaign has identified medication reconciliation as a targeted intervention for improving patient safety in acute and long-term health care institutions.
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