In times of emergency, physicians have to make decisions quickly. Having access to a patient’s treatment history and current medications can be critical when time is of the essence.
       By keeping a complete list of your child’s current medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, and dosages on hand for physicians to review, you can help prevent an adverse drug event from occurring.
       When you provide an updated medication list to your child’s physician, you can begin the medication reconciliation process. This allows the doctors to tailor your child’s care around the medications they are currently taking in order to prevent any dosing mistakes, adverse drug interactions or duplications.

National statistics
Across the United States, approximately 1.3 million people become ill or have adverse side effects from medical therapy each year. The 100,000 Lives Campaign, a nation-wide initiative launched in 2004, has a goal of rapidly reducing morbidity and mortality in American healthcare by preventing common hospital system errors such as the incorrect reconciliation of medications.
       The accurate and complete reconciliation of patient medications throughout the continuum of care is a top priority at Children’s, which is a member of the 100,000 Lives Campaign. Children’s has rolled out its medication reconciliation plan hospital-wide.
       Medication reconciliation requires that a complete and current list of a patient’s medications be obtained upon admission, updated during the course of care and communicated to the next care provider. The complete list of medications also must be provided to the patient upon discharge.
       Medication reconciliation helps avoid transcription errors, omissions in a patient’s chart and works to prevent duplication of therapy as well as drug interactions. The benefits are accomplished by comparing all prescribed medicines with those listed on the patient-provided list of medications, which is why keeping a detailed list of your child’s medications is important to their care. Upon discharge or transfer, your child’s physician is required to communicate a list of the prescribed medications your child is taking to the next healthcare provider, ensuring a continuum of care.
   The process involves three main components:

• Verification (collection of medication history)
• Clarification (ensuring that the medications and doses are appropriate)
• Documentation (changes to orders or reason for differences)

Universal Medication Form
Click here for a copy of the Universal Medication Form. Parents can use the form to keep a child’s medications list up to date at all times, and should be brought to the hospital or doctor’s office with your child anytime he or she needs care.