Med Rec another key focus for Coastal accreditation preparation
As an essential patient safety practice that helps unearth potential medication disrepancies or conflicts, medication reconciliation at care transitions is another of the ROPs (Required Organizational Practices) that Accreditation Canada surveyors will be looking for when they come for their observations in Coastal acute care facilities this coming June.
“Patients are especially vulnerable to med discrepancies whenever there’s a handoff in their care,” explains Karin Trapnell, VCH Director and Regional MedRec lead. “It’s why there’s such sharp focus on these key care points and why the surveyors will pay particular attention to medications being ordered, and when patients move to a different level of care or point in the continuum.”
But the entire process hinges on the care team generating a BPMH (Best Possible Medication History), and ensuring it’s kept current as the patient is cared for and moves through the system.
Meeting this ROP
From an Accreditation Canada perspective, what compliance looks like is:
- We have implemented MedRec at admission in acute, residential and community settings.
- The verified BPMH and medication orders are reviewed and communicated to the next provider at key handoffs of care
- We strive to give our patients a clear understanding of their medications and how to take them
- We evaluate MedRec on an ongoing basis to sustain improvement.
Read the full ROP fact sheet
We’ve created fact sheets for all priority ROPs including Medication Reconciliation at Care Transitions that include a checklist of what compliance around each of the elements above looks like as well as links to Practice Guidelines, toolkits and sample questions from surveyors.
Get the Medication Reconciliation at Care Transitions Fact Sheet on VCH-Connect.
Spread the word
Share this story and the Medication Reconciliation at Care Transitions ROP with your team by email and by posting it in your lunchroom.
Have questions about Medication Reconciliation at Care Transitions?
Contact: Karin Trapnell and Nadine Jones
Email: Karin.Trapnell@vch.ca
Email: nadine.jones@vch.ca
Have questions about Coastal Accreditation 2015?
Contact: Jody Sydor Jones
Coastal Director, Clinical Quality and Patient Safety
Email: Jody.SydorJones@vch.ca