title: Medication list assessment in Spanish hospital emergency departments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medication errors lead to morbidity and mortality among emergency department (ED) patients. An inaccurate medication history is one of the underlying causes of these errors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was performed to determine the prevalence of patients with discrepancies between the medical list information contained in the clinical history compiled on admission to the ED and the list of medications patients are actually taking, to characterize the discrepancies found, and to analyze whether certain factors are associated with the risk of discrepancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive, observational, multicenter study with an analytic component in the EDs of 11 hospitals in Spain. We compared pharmacist-obtained medication lists (PML) with ED-obtained medication lists (EDML). Discrepancy was defined as one or more differences (in drug or dosage or route of administration) between the EDML and PML. The endpoints were the proportion of patients with discrepancies in their home medical lists, and the prevalence of certain factors among patients with discrepancies and those without.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We detected 1476 discrepancies in 387 patients; no discrepancies were found in 20.7%. The most frequent discrepancies involved incomplete information (44.2%) and omission (41.8%). In the bivariate analysis, age, number of medications, and Charlson comorbidity score were significantly associated with discrepancy. In the multivariate analysis, number of medications and hospital were the variables associated with discrepancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EDML differed from the list of medications patients were actually taking in 79.3% of cases. Incomplete information and omission were the most frequent discrepancies. Age, number of medications, and comorbidities were related to the risk of discrepancies.
authors.affiliation: Provincial Delegate of the Ministry of Health, Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Baena Parejo
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Hospital Santa Creu i sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Juanes Borrego
authors.affiliation: Fundació Sant Hospital, La Seu d' Urgell, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Altimiras Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Hospital Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crespí Monjó
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Spain.
authors.forename: Milagros
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Peláez
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Hospital Son Llàtzer Palma Mallorca, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Calderón Hernanz
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Universitary Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel Ángel
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Calleja Hernández
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Universitary Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: María Isabel
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Chinchilla Fernández
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Hospital de Formentera and Hospital Can Misses, Ibiza, Spain.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prats Riera
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Universitary Hospital Gregorio Marañon, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: García Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Badalona Serveis Assitencials, Badalona, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Universitary Hospital Meixoeiro, Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vázquez López
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Universitary Hospital Donostia, Donostia, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Dolores
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mauleon Echeverria
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Universitary Hospital Alicante, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mas Serrano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059065:Medication Reconciliation / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: emergency department; medication list; medication records; pharmaceutical care; pharmacy