Accreditation Canada, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices Canada released a report today entitled Medication Reconciliation in Canada: Raising the Bar.
Some of the insights found in the report include:
- In 2009 – 2010, the estimated economic burden of preventable patient safety incidents in acute care in Canada was $397 million. Medication reconciliation was identified as key to reducing this burden.
- One quarter of seniors have three or more chronic conditions that often need to be treated with multiple medications. These seniors are at higher risk of adverse events related to medication use, and unplanned visits to emergency departments and hospitals.
- Of the 288 health care organizations surveyed by Accreditation Canada in 2011, only 60% had a process for medication reconciliation at admission, and 50% had a process for medication reconciliation at transfer or discharge.
- Medication reconciliation practices showed the highest improvement from 2010 to 2011, yet continue to be one of the greatest patient safety challenges.
- The National Medication Reconciliation Strategy, co-led by CPSI and ISMP Canada, is actively developing curriculum for health care practitioners, as well as tools, resources, and technology supports - including medication checklists, a mobile app to help patients better manage their own medications, and an interactive web-based map of innovative medication reconciliation resources by region.
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