Background During the implementation of the Danish Safer Hospital Programme (DSHP) in 2010–2013, two surgical departments hired pharmacy staff to carry out medicines reconciliations and medicines reviews. The staff had to prioritise the patients and the focus of medicines reviews using the DSHP. The DSHP had never been used to investigate whether the types of drug-related problems (DRPs) differ from orthopaedic to abdominal surgery departments.

Purpose To compare DRP in two different surgical departments by using DSHP as a model for medicines reconciliation and review.

Materials and methods Data were collected by the pharmacy staff. Over a period of 3 months all DRPs were recorded in thirteen different categories, in the two departments. The medicines review model was built on the methods for medicines reconciliation and high-risk medicines described in the DSHP. The data was analysed using the reports in the Danish DRP database.

Results 173 records were made in the orthopaedic department (OD) and 182 in the abdominal department (AD). 75 DRPs were identified in the orthopaedic department (43% of problems noted), and 125 DRPs in the abdominal department (69% of problems noted). The remaining records were of non drug-related problems. The categories of DRP that were most frequent in both departments were dose (OD 31%; AD 32%), supplement to treatment (OD 29%; AD 27%) and inappropriate choice of drug (OD 19%; AD 8%). Examination of data showed many similarities and few differences. For instance both departments had problems with prescribing laxatives to patients treated with opioids.

Conclusions The examination of data showed that DRPs are very similar in two different surgical departments using DSHP as a model for medicines reconciliation and medicines review. It is therefore possible to cooperate on a joint effort with the two departments to improve patient safety.

No conflict of interest.