The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7440 p210
24 February 2007

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Discharge medication lists miss out a fifth of medicines taken by patients, study finds

Accuracy of medication lists for patients discharged from hospital needs to be improved to prevent inappropriate use of medicines and adverse drug reactions, a recent study suggests (Quality and Safety in Healthcare 2007;16:34).

Researchers in Denmark interviewed 200 patients within a week of their discharge from hospital, and found that a fifth of prescription medicines being used after discharge were unknown to the hospital. They also found that only half of medicines used in hospital appeared on the discharge letter.

They say: “Systematic follow-up after discharge focusing on an updated medication list might be effective in reducing medication errors.”