What is the focus of "medication reconciliation"?

Medication reconciliation is a critical process that focuses on ensuring a patient's medication lists are accurate, particularly during transitions of care such as admissions, transfers, and discharges. This process involves comparing the patient's current medications against their prescribed medications to identify and resolve discrepancies. Accurate medication reconciliation helps reduce the risk of medication errors, enhances patient safety, and improves therapeutic outcomes by ensuring that patients continue appropriate medications and avoid potentially harmful interactions.

By verifying and documenting a reliable medication list from multiple sources, healthcare providers can facilitate better communication among care teams and provide the patient with a clear medication plan, actively promoting patient adherence and health management. This focus is particularly vital during transitions when changes in care settings often occur, increasing the risk for errors or omissions.

The other choices do not capture the essence of medication reconciliation. For instance, increasing the number of medications a patient can take does not align with the intention of safeguarding patient safety, while promoting new medications over existing ones could lead to unnecessary changes that complicate care. Simplifying the medication process for hospital staff, although important, does not highlight the primary goal of ensuring medication accuracy and safety for patients during their care transitions.