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  • 1.  Medication Reconciliation

    Posted 07-22-2022 07:35 AM
    Hello ENA! 

    What is your process for medication reconciliation? Does it happen at triage? Does the primary RN do it after triage? Do pharmacy techs do all med rec- admitted and discharged patients? Do you only record medications pertinent to the chief complaint of the visit at hand? Any info on your process would be much appreciated! 

    Thank you!

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    Lauren Jones, MSN, RN, CEN, PHN
    Clinical Nurse Educator
    UCLA Santa Monica Emergency Department
    UCLA Health
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  • 2.  RE: Medication Reconciliation

    Posted 07-31-2022 12:14 AM

    In triage, the nurse will acknowledge what medications a patient takes since increasingly home meds are already within the EMR database. They will make changes that are pertinent, such as adding newly prescribed meds, or deleting old meds. Dosing is not required in triage. If there are no home meds found in the EMR, the triage nurse will input medication names. In the treatment area, the primary nurse can input medications if time allows.

    We utilize pharmacy techs to do medication reconciliations for admitted patients and certain patients such as people 65 years and older, or geriatric patients with chief complaint of syncope or weak and dizzy. They also do reconciliations on admitted patients with more than 5 medications listed. For all other patients, if a provider requests a reconciliation, the pharmacy techs will perform one. 

    Hope this is helpful!  



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    Mary Ann Rodgers
    Nursing Professional Development Practitioner
    Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
    Diamond Bar CA
    (310)466-0403
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Medication Reconciliation

    Posted 09-03-2023 05:37 AM

    Our process is basically like Mary Ann's.  I'd say the only caveat is if there is a long list of medications and I have a line waiting to be triaged. In that case I'll either keep the patient's list and do it when I have a lull in activity. Or I'll let the patient's nurse know it needs to be done. Most of the time the doses are already in the system; however, I notice that when I do an external reconciliation, when I add that med from the external list, the dose doesn't populate over (which is frustrating). If that patient is admitted, the admitting physician can see the medication, but no dosage so it's kind of worthless to them.

    Remarkably, once admitted, the floor also has to do a med rec even though I've already done it. I'm not sure if it doesn't populate over or they just assume the ED doesn't do it.



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    Mark Molavi
    BSN, RN, CEN, FP-C
    Santa Barbara CA
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Medication Reconciliation

    Posted 09-10-2023 12:55 AM
    Edited by Darcie Lenz, BSN;RN;MICN;PHN 09-10-2023 12:57 AM

    Hi Lauren,

    The medication reconciliation process can be very time-consuming; so at my facility, the triage nurse will ask about home medications, but if there is a long list and several patients awaiting triage there is a button for "needs follow-up" to help streamline triage. We have a designated medication reconciliation nurse who has a discussion with the patient or a designated family member while in the ED prior to admission about any medications that are being taken and when the last dose was given. This ensures medical staff is aware of compliance with medications because as we all know just because it was prescribed that doesn't mean the patient is taking it.



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    Darcie Lenz BSN,RN,MICN,PHN
    Registered Nurse
    Modesto CA
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    Original Message