Effectiveness of a Medication Reconciliation Project Conducted by PharmD Students

Abstract

Objectives. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a medication reconciliation program conducted by doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students during an advanced pharmacy practice experience. Methods. Patients admitted to medicine or surgery units at 3 hospitals were included. Students were instructed to interview each patient to obtain a medication history, reconcile this list with the medical chart, and identify and solve drug-related problems. Results. Eleven students reconciled medications for 330 patients over 10 months and identified 922 discrepancies. The median number of discrepancies found per patient was 2, and no discrepancies were found in 25% of the cases. In cases in which discrepancies were identified, a greater number of medications had been prescribed for the patient (7.9 ± 4.0 medications compared to 5.4 ± 3.9 medications; p < 0.05). The students completed 59 interventions. Differences were found in the numbers of discrepancies and drug-related problems that different students at different sites identified (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Pharmacy students provided a valuable service to 3 community hospitals. The students improved the quality of patient care by identifying and solving significant drug-related problems, identifying drug allergy information, and resolving home and admission medication discrepancies.