Medication Reconciliation is a critical part of every Home Health visit. It involves reviewing and comparing the patient’s medication list to ensure it is accurate and up to date. This step is vital for preventing medication errors and ensuring that patients are taking the right medications in the correct dosages.
In the Home Health setting, clinicians often encounter patients who are taking high-risk medications. So how can you know what to look out for? While many high-alert medications come with labels, these labels may sometimes be missing or unclear. Recognizing these medications is key to maintaining patient safety.
Common High-Alert Medications:
Antibiotics (all categories)
Anticoagulants (e.g., Heparin, Warfarin, Xarelto, Eliquis)
Antiplatelets (e.g., Aspirin, Plavix)
Antipsychotics (all categories)
Hypoglycemics (e.g., Metformin, Humalog, Lantus, Levemir)
Opioids/Narcotics (e.g., OxyContin, Vicodin, Dolophine, Opana)
Please note: This is not an exhaustive list but highlights common examples.
During each session, it’s important to ask patients if they have been prescribed any new medications recently. For instance, as an Occupational Therapist, I often inquire about their medication routines and how they integrate them into daily activities. For example, do they take their medications during mealtimes? Do they use a pill organizer? Perhaps they take pain medication before exercising. Understanding their routines helps ensure that medications are taken correctly and safely.
By conducting thorough medication reconciliation, Home Health clinicians and therapists can significantly reduce the risk of medication-related issues, ultimately improving patient outcomes and safety in the home care environment.
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