Medication Management During Care Transitions: Reducing Errors and Enhancing Adherence.

Abstract

Transitions of care are high-risk periods when it comes to medication safety. Hazards include medication discrepancies, nonadherence, inappropriate prescribing, and inadequate monitoring for medication-related problems. Several types of interventions have been implemented and evaluated. Recent and higher quality studies suggest that the most potent interventions are those that incorporate multiple components and are implemented in patients at highest risk (eg, elderly with polypharmacy and low health literacy). Widespread implementation is limited by the resource-intensity of these interventions. However, these interventions may be cost-effective under certain circumstances, especially when considering hospital over-crowding and payment systems based on quality, safety, and value.