Pharmacist Consultation

Question 1

What is medicines reconciliation?

Answer 1

The process of identifying an accurate list of a patient’s current medications (including OTC and herbal supplements) and carrying out a comparison of these with the current list in use, recognising any discrepancies and documenting any changes.

Question 2

What does medicines reconciliation have to account for/

Answer 2

• The current health of the patient

- Any acting / long-standing issues

Question 3

When should medicines reconciliation take place?

Answer 3

Whenever a patient is transferred from 1 care setting to another.

Question 4

As a minimum, what points should you consider discussing with a patient about a medication?

Answer 4

• What is the medicine and why has it been
  prescribed? How does it impact upon the
  medical condition and how does it alleviate
  the symptoms?
• How and when to take the medicine
• How much to take and what to expect
• What to do if the patient misses a dose
• What are the likely side effects and how
  to manage them
• If applicable, any lifestyle or dietary
  changes that need to be made or that
  can affect the treatment
• Additional information relating to storage
  requirements, expiry dates, disposal and
  monitoring requirements can also be
  included where appropriate
• Check patient understanding by asking
  them to describe back to you the key
  information you have provided.