Medication Reconciliation
The formal process of comparing a patient's current medication orders against all medications the patient has been taking prior to admission, at care transitions, and at discharge to identify and resolve discrepancies.
Full Definition
Medication Reconciliation is a patient safety process mandated by The Joint Commission as a National Patient Safety Goal, requiring clinicians to compile a complete and accurate list of a patient's home medications—including psychiatric, medical, over-the-counter, and herbal agents—and to reconcile this list against active orders at admission, transfer, and discharge. In psychiatric hospital settings, reconciliation is particularly critical because patients may be poor historians due to cognitive impairment or acute psychosis, and polypharmacy is common. Editors working on medication reconciliation forms or safety policies must preserve precise pharmacological language and ensure that drug names follow approved nomenclature (generic preferred over brand in most institutional style guides).
Usage
Usage note: The colloquial abbreviation 'med rec' is acceptable in clinical shorthand but should be spelled out in formal policy and accreditation documents. Use generic drug names unless brand name is clinically significant.
In Context
- "The admitting nurse completed medication reconciliation within two hours of the patient's arrival, identifying a previously undisclosed clonazepam prescription." — Admission nursing assessment
- "Discharge medication reconciliation must be documented and provided to the patient in written form before they leave the unit." — Discharge planning policy