Análisis de los medicamentos implicados en errores de conciliación al ingreso hospitalario

Abstract

El uso inadecuado de los medicamentos constituye los errores de medicación (EM) y es origen habitual de eventos adversos durante la atención sanitaria. Los EM son frecuentes pero se trata de hechos prevenibles. En las transiciones asistenciales se originan frecuentemente EM por deficiencias en la comunicación de los tratamientos farmacológicos entre el ámbito previo y el posterior. Esto da lugar a cambios injustificados en los medicamentos que reciben los pacientes, generándose un tipo de EM denominados errores de conciliación (EC). Para prevenir su aparición es necesario, tanto mejorar las vías de comunicación y la accesibilidad a la información sobre los tratamientos, como aplicar sistemáticamente la conciliación de la medicación(CM)...

The inappropriate use of medications or Medication Errors (ME) is a common, yet preventable, source of adverse events in healthcare. Reconciliation Errors (ER) are a type of ME caused by inefficient communication between levels of care, that may lead to unjustified changes in the pharmacological treatments received by the patients. To prevent RE, it is necessary to improve communication and accessibility to the patients' medication information, as well as to systematically apply Medication Reconciliation (MR). MR consists on gathering the best possible medication history and compare it with the current admission prescription in order to find unjustified discrepancies. MR is an effective method to detect and prevent RE, and it is highly recommended by international and national institutions such as the World Health Organization. Such institutions issue official MR recommendations and clinical guidelines to be applied in all health settings where medications are used. However, the development of MR programs that reach all patients in healthcare centers has been proved to be very difficult in daily practice due to the lack of human and economic resources. Consequently, there is a growing need for selecting or prioritizing MR interventions in order to focus on those cases with greater risk of RE or where their consequences may be more harmful for patients...