Communication issues are a top contributing factor in medicationrelated claims

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Communication issues are a top contributing
factor in medication-related claims
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Patients need to be engaged regarding

• Personal medication background
• Roles and expectations
• Medication risks and benefits
• Instructions
• Side effects
• Errors

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Background

• Ensure that you have an updated medication list
  at each visit that includes
• Drug allergies
• Current prescription medications
• Regularly used over-the-counter medicines
• Alternative medicines
• Discuss any past experience the patient may have
  had with any new prescriptions ordered during
  that visit.

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Roles and expectations

• Be sure you and the patient understand
• Who will monitor each medication and how
• Renewal policy and procedure
• Efficacy of brand names vs. generics
• Who will inform other providers about new
  prescriptions
• When and how to report troublesome side effects

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Discussing medication risks

• Ensure that the patient is well informed about
• Risks from allergies and drug-drug interactions
• Verifying receipt of right drug and dosage
• Potential side effects
• Risks from inappropriate or prolonged use
• Risks from discontinuing use

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Instructing the patient

• Every time a medication is prescribed, the
  patient should understand
• What the drug is
• Its purpose
• How it works
• How to take it
• Precautions
• Worrisome and non-worrisome side-effects
• Duration of treatment / risks of discontinuation

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Side Effects

• Ensure that the patient is well informed about
  how to take the medication and possible side
  effects

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Disclosing errors

• Patients want to be informed about errors related
  to their medical careeven if they do not result
  in any harm.
• Errors in ordering or preparing their medications
  (when and as appropriate)
• Errors that lead to the patient receiving the
  wrong drug or dose (immediately)
• Patient-detected errors