BACKGROUND: Obtaining an accurate and complete medication list (i.e., the best possible medication history [BPMH]) is the first step in completing medication reconciliation. The ability of pharmacy technicians to obtain medication histories, relative to that of pharmacists, has not been formally assessed. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether pharmacy technicians at the authors' institution could obtain a BPMH as accurately and completely as pharmacists and if both groups met national norms for unintentional discrepancies and the success index for medication reconciliation. METHODS: Pharmacy technicians were trained in obtaining a BPMH at the beginning of the study, before any patients were enrolled. Patients presenting to the emergency department were prospectively enrolled to be interviewed separately by both a pharmacist and a technician, with information recorded on standard medication reconciliation forms. The completed forms for each patient were compared following each set of interviews, and discrepancies were clarified with the patient. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients were included in the study, and 3 pharmacists and 2 technicians obtained the histories. There was no significant difference between pharmacists and technicians in terms of discrepancies involving prescription drugs (χ(2) = 0.52, df = 1, n = 118, p = 0.47, Cramer's V for effect size = 0.07) or over-the-counter medications (χ(2) = 0.09, df = 1, n = 118, p = 0.77, Cramer's V = 0.03). The mean number of discrepancies per patient did not differ significantly between the pharmacists and technicians (t = 0.15, df = 58, p = 0.88 for prescription drugs; t = -0.22, df = 58, p = 0.83 for over-the-counter products). For both groups, the number of unintentional discrepancies per patient was significantly lower and the success index for medication reconciliation significantly higher than the national average. CONCLUSIONS: Trained pharmacy technicians at the authors' institution were able to obtain a BPMH with as much accuracy and completeness as pharmacists. Both groups were significantly superior to the national average in terms of unintentional discrepancies and success index for medication reconciliation.
BACKGROUND: Obtaining an accurate and complete medication list (i.e., the best possible medication history [BPMH]) is the first step in completing medication reconciliation. The ability of pharmacy technicians to obtain medication histories, relative to that of pharmacists, has not been formally assessed. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether pharmacy technicians at the authors' institution could obtain a BPMH as accurately and completely as pharmacists and if both groups met national norms for unintentional discrepancies and the success index for medication reconciliation. METHODS: Pharmacy technicians were trained in obtaining a BPMH at the beginning of the study, before any patients were enrolled. Patients presenting to the emergency department were prospectively enrolled to be interviewed separately by both a pharmacist and a technician, with information recorded on standard medication reconciliation forms. The completed forms for each patient were compared following each set of interviews, and discrepancies were clarified with the patient. RESULTS: Fifty-nine patients were included in the study, and 3 pharmacists and 2 technicians obtained the histories. There was no significant difference between pharmacists and technicians in terms of discrepancies involving prescription drugs (χ(2) = 0.52, df = 1, n = 118, p = 0.47, Cramer's V for effect size = 0.07) or over-the-counter medications (χ(2) = 0.09, df = 1, n = 118, p = 0.77, Cramer's V = 0.03). The mean number of discrepancies per patient did not differ significantly between the pharmacists and technicians (t = 0.15, df = 58, p = 0.88 for prescription drugs; t = -0.22, df = 58, p = 0.83 for over-the-counter products). For both groups, the number of unintentional discrepancies per patient was significantly lower and the success index for medication reconciliation significantly higher than the national average. CONCLUSIONS: Trained pharmacy technicians at the authors' institution were able to obtain a BPMH with as much accuracy and completeness as pharmacists. Both groups were significantly superior to the national average in terms of unintentional discrepancies and success index for medication reconciliation.
Authors: Patricia L Cornish; Sandra R Knowles; Romina Marchesano; Vincent Tam; Steven Shadowitz; David N Juurlink; Edward E Etchells Journal: Arch Intern Med Date: 2005-02-28
Authors: Patricia Mla van den Bemt; Sifra van den Broek; Alfons K van Nunen; Johannes Bm Harbers; Albert W Lenderink Journal: Ann Pharmacother Date: 2009-05 Impact factor: 3.154