The Score on Med Rec.
- 3/25/2009
- Author: Jim Parker
- Category: Perspectives on Patient Safety Blog
- 17684 Views
- 1 Comments
Greetings!
The word is on the street: For the remainder of 2009, Joint Commission surveyors will not be scoring National Patient Safety Goal 8, which addresses medication reconciliation.
During 2009, The Joint Commission is reviewing the goal language with a fine-tooth comb to ensure maximum clarity; they are consulting health care organizations, physicians, pharmacists, nurses, surveyors, and other stakeholders to ensure that the revised Goal 8 is clear, effective, and in tune with what health care organizations and their patients need.
However, organizations still have one important reason to keep doing med rec—their patients. If an organization is not reconciling patient medications, then that organization is gambling with their patients’ lives and well being. Medication errors and adverse reactions can be fatal to patients, or cause other serious harm.
Even without scoring Goal 8, The Joint Commission will continue to help organizations refine their medication reconciliation practices through 2009. Surveyors will evaluate medication reconciliation during on-site surveys, discuss opportunities for improvement, and collect information about organizations’ medication reconciliation processes. The difference this year is that the surveyor’s findings will not be factored into organizations’ accreditation decisions, nor will Goal 8 generate Requirements for Improvement or appear in the accreditation report.
The Joint Commission will unveil a revised Goal 8 at a later date, and scoring is expected to resume when that revised language becomes effective.
Stay safe,
Jim Parker
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