Which practice focuses on reducing medication errors?

Medication reconciliation is a critical practice aimed at reducing medication errors throughout the healthcare process. This systematic review of a patient's medications—comparing their current medication orders to all of the medications that the patient has been taking—ensures accuracy and helps to identify potential discrepancies. By identifying any differences or conflicts in the patient's medication regimen, healthcare providers can rectify issues before they lead to adverse drug events, thereby enhancing patient safety.

The process typically occurs at transitions of care, such as during admission, transfer between departments, or discharge from a healthcare facility. It plays a vital role in facilitating clear communication among healthcare providers and patients about medications, which is essential for optimal pharmacotherapy.

In contrast, while patient education, clinical audits, and benchmarking each contribute to overall patient safety and quality of care, they do not specifically target medication errors in the same direct manner as medication reconciliation does. Patient education helps improve compliance and understanding of medications but does not systematically ensure accuracy in medication lists. Clinical audits assess adherence to protocols and can highlight issues, but they do not actively prevent medication errors at the point of care. Benchmarking provides comparative data to improve performance but is more focused on overall system improvement rather than addressing medication discrepancies directly.