Background and importance Medication errors (ME) are especially frequent in hospital emergency departments (ED). To minimise these ME, medication reconciliation programmes are established, which analyse and resolve the discrepancies detected in the medication regimen of the patient.

Aim and objectives To evaluate implementation of the reconciliation programme in the ED of a second level general hospital.

Material and methods An observational retrospective study was conducted. Records from patients admitted to the observation area of the ED from 1 January 2018 to 31 March 2019 and whose chronic medication was reconciled were studied. Information related to their chronic medication was collected from the hospital medical records, the primary care prescriptions and/or through an interview with the patient. Discrepancies were classified according to the SEFH consensus document, and categorisation of the potential harm associated with these ME was based on the NCCMERP index; the pharmacotherapeutic groups involved in these ME were also analysed.

Results 26.7% of patients admitted to the ED during the study period were reconciliated (780/2921), with a mean of 10.14 medications per patient. A mean of 1.6 discrepancies per patient were detected; 40.52% were ME, two thirds of which resulted from the omission of chronic medication and 72.15% of errors reached the patient but did not cause harm. The drugs involved in a higher proportion of ME were drugs to treat cardiovascular disorders. From the total amount of pharmaceutical interventions performed, 49.25% were accepted by physicians.

Conclusion and relevance Due to the high average chronic drug intake of patients attending the ED and, therefore, the potential risk of ME, collaboration between physicians and pharmacists is crucial to ensure reconciled medication of patients, as a patient safeguard strategy and a standard of quality within the health system.

References and/or acknowledgements No

Conflict of interest No conflict of interest