title: Challenges of managing medications for older people at transition points of care.
abstract: In clinical practice, pharmacists play a very important role in identifying and correcting medication discrepancies as older patients move across transition points of care. With increasing complexity of health care needs of older people, these discrepancies are likely to increase. The major concern with identifying and correcting medication discrepancies is that medication reconciliation is considered a retrospective problem--that is, dealing with medication discrepancies after they have occurred. It is argued here that a more proactive stance should be taken where doctors, nurses and pharmacists collectively work together to prevent medication discrepancies from happening in the first place. Improved involvement of patients and family members will help to facilitate better management of medications across transition points of care. Efficient use of information technology aids, such as electronic medication reconciliation tools, should also assist with organizational systems problems associated with the working culture, heavy workloads, and staff and skill mix of health professionals.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia; Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Australia; Melbourne School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Australia. Electronic address: emanias@deakin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manias
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, School of Pharmacy, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Carmel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D063005:Health Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D059065:Medication Reconciliation; D054539:Medication Therapy Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D010595:Pharmacists; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016526:Workload
keywords: Communication; Information technology; Medication discrepancies; Medication reconciliation; Older people; Patient and family involvement