Effect of medication reconciliation with computer based program on medication error at Phukhieo Hospital, Chaiyaphum Province

Abstract

The objective of this randomized controlled study was to evaluate the effect of medication reconciliation with computer based program on medication errors in the inpatient setting by comparing the rate of medication errors between the study group which medication reconciliation with computer based program was conducted and control group which was the group receiving usual care. Data were collected and evaluated at two different interfaces of care, admission and discharge. The study was conducted at Phukhieo Hospital, Phukhieo District, Chaiyaphum Province during January 1^st, 2011 and 1 June 30^th ,2011. Five hundred and six patients were randomly allocated into the study and control groups (254 and 252 patients, respectively). Results have shown that the medication errors occurred 134 items from the total of 5,871 items (2.3%). The study demonstrated that the rate of medication errors in the study group was significantly lower than those in the control group (0.6 % vs. 3.8%, p<0.001). The common found errors were omission errors (2.0%) which the study group was significantly lower than those in the control group (0.4 % vs. 3.4%, p<0.001). All of medication errors founding in the study were no harm errors. The harmful errors were estimated to be 9.9 %, if these medication errors were not interrupted. Two hundred and seventy-three items of pharmacist consultation to the doctor were accepted 143 item (52.4%) for 72 patients (75.8%) Medication reconciliation process with computer based program for inpatient medication system by pharmacist clearly reduced medication errors at the interfaces of care. This study presents a medication reconciliation model that could be adapted in pharmaceutical care to improve patients outcomes and support pharmacy practice in patient care team.