Home medication record evaluation in an emergency department observation unit

Objectives: The primary aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of patients with discrepancies between the home treatment recorded by the investigating pharmacist and that recorded on the Emergency Department (ED) observation unit report. The secondary aim is to identify the factors that may be associated with these discrepancies. Method: This is a cross-sectional descriptive observational study with an analytic component. Each patient’s drug therapy was analysed. A complete, accurate list of the patient’s home treatment was written up and compared with the home treatment recorded on the ED report. The prevalence of patients with discrepancies between the two records was calculated, as well as a 95􀀈% confidence interval.Frequencies and percentages were calculated for the different discrepancy types. A bivariate analysis was performed to find out which variables were associated with the presence of discrepancies. Results: At least one discrepancy was found between the drug records of 92.6% of patients in the sample group. The 48.9% of the discrepancies were incomplete records, and 42.32% were drug omission errors. There was a statistically significant link between the discrepancy variable and age, previous episode in the ED, person responsible for drug administration, patient/caregiver interview, and number of drugs recorded during the interview. Conclusions: By individually analysing a patient’s drug therapy, pharmacists can draw up an accurate, reliable list of their home treatment. An accurate medication history provides a solid foundation for the prevention of medication errors