Patients urged to bring meds with them to hospital

8. January 2010

Patients urged to bring medication with them to hospital

Too many patients arrive at hospital without their medication or have no idea of the name of the medication they are taking, Hawke’s Bay Hospital pharmacy manager Billy Allan says.

Mr Allan, who is part of the national steering group Safe Medication Management Programme, said even if someone is brought into hospital unconscious family members or friends should bring the medication in they are taking.

“When patients come into hospital they should bring with them an up-to-date medication list and all their own medication. This includes tablets, inhalers, eye drops, creams, lotions and potions.

“It speeds up treatment if clinicians know what type of medication someone is taking – and if that medication played a part in their illness“ he said.

Hawke’s Bay District Health Board is one of four DHBs involved in a pilot study under the Safe Medication Management Programme that will promote the importance of patients bringing in their medication with them, or even a list of the medication they are taking.

Medication obviously plays an important role in keeping someone well - but sometimes different drugs can work against each other so this programme is about developing systems to ensure the right person receives the right mediation at the right dose at the right time, and also in the right way either by injection or mouth, Mr Allan said.

Eventually this programme will work to standardise and link all hospital information systems to make sure there is consistent and reliable information about a person’s medication, he said.

These links will then work to develop an electronic record that will match people electronically to their medications before they are given them and establish a medicine reconciliation system that will let clinicians see an up-to-date list of a patients medications which will streamline the prescribing process and reduce medication errors, Mr Allan said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media