The MED Card: Obtaining and Documenting a Complete Home Medication List

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The MED CardObtaining and Documenting a
Complete Home Medication List

• A Guide for Health Professionals
• from the
• Utah Hospitals and Health Systems Association
  (UHA)

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What is The MED Card?

• Portable medication list
• Two forms from the UHA
• Tri-fold wallet card
• Full-page detailed medication list
• Available at
• www.uha-utah.org/patientsafety/medication/
• MedRec.htm

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The MED Card Information

• Side One
• Primary physician with contact info
• Pharmacy with contact info
• Allergies
• Health problems
• Vaccines
• Side Two
• Medication list with doses and frequencies
• Reminders to include non-Rx and herbals

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Why should patients have a complete medication
list?

• Many patients forget
• Doses or schedules
• Over-the-counter medications
• New medications
• Herbals
• Giving the list to health providers prevents
• Errors
• Omissions
• Interactions

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Gather Resources

• The MED Card
• Patient or caregiver
• Medication references
• Medication handbooks
• Reliable internet sites
• Old medication lists

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Review Lists

• Start with old medication lists if available
• Verify with the patient each of the following
  components of a complete list
• Drug names
• Doses
• Routes
• Schedules
• Indications

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Involve the Patient

• Best first source
• Knows adherence to medications
• Key to promoting medication knowledge

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Use Open-Ended Questions

• Are you still on lisinopril, metoprolol, and
  aspirin? Yes/No answers only
• List your current medications for me.
• More complete
• Adherence
• Less likely to omit new meds
• If the patient answers the 4 white pills, move
  to a verification strategy
• What can you tell me about your blood pressure
  pills?

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Questions Hints to Get Complete Histories

• Prescription medications
• Pills, patches, inhalers, recent antibiotics?
• Non-prescription medications
• Aspirin, cold preps, antacids?
• Herbs or supplements
• St. Johns wort, vitamins?
• Vaccines
• Recreational drugs
• Allergies

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Other Resources

• If the patient cannot provide information, go to
  plan B
• Alternate sources for medication lists
• Caregivers
• Community pharmacy
• Health provider(s)
• Nursing home medication records
• May need signed HIPAA release forms

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Using the MED Card

• Help patients fill out the card at each visit
• Remind patients to
• Carry the card in their purse or wallet
• Bring it to all medical appointments
• Update it with any drug or dose changes
• Give extra blank cards to patients to complete
  when the old card is full

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Questions and Discussion