Characterization of Medication Discrepancies and Interventions Resulting From Pharmacy-Led Medication Reconciliation in the Critical Care Setting

Abstract

Background Medication reconciliation has been shown to reduce medication-related errors in hospitalized patients, but the impact of pharmacy-led medication reconciliation in the intensive care unit (ICU) has not been extensively studied. Methods This was a retrospective chart review of patients with a pharmacy-led medication reconciliation on admission to an ICU between January 1st and March 31st, 2018. Pharmacy-led medication reconciliations were completed by pharmacists, pharmacy residents, and pharmacy students. The objective of this study was to describe medication discrepancies identified by pharmacy-led medication reconciliation and to evaluate the interventions following. Results A total of 288 patients were screened and 247 met inclusion criteria. There were 1148 medication discrepancies identified resulting in an average of 4.65 discrepancies per patient. Medication addition (54.25%) and medication deletion (45.75%) were most common. Within 24 hours of medication reconciliation, 214 interventions were made to active orders. No differences were observed between discrepancies identified and type of pharmacy staff completing the medication reconciliation. Conclusions This study identified a high rate of medication discrepancies on admission to the ICU. Furthermore, it describes the types of pharmacist interventions following pharmacy-led medication reconciliation. This process may be impactful to incorporate as a standard practice in ICUs and warrants further investigation into value, cost, and pharmacist workflow.