Bridging the Gap in Transitional Care: A Closer Look at Medication Reconciliation

Older adults living in long-term care facilities are susceptible to frequent hospital readmission as they transition between levels of care and health care settings. Medication errors are major sources of morbidity and mortality in their transitional care. Accurate medication lists are a critical component of the medical information necessary for the care coordination and continuity of care for older adults as they transition between settings. Gerontological nurses can play a key role in ensuring patient safety and preventing adverse drug events when they use the Medication, Background, Assessment, and Recommendations (MBAR) form during the handoff between shifts. With it, practitioners are better able to monitor the medications of older adults in any setting. The MBAR can be a universal medication form implemented as soon as the hospital admits the patient; practitioners can use it to follow patients throughout their acute care stay until discharge to a long-term care facility.