Pharmacist elicited medication histories in the Emergency Department: Identifying patient groups at risk of medication misadventure

摘要

The Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Committee guidelines call for a detailed medication history to be taken at the first point of admission to an Emergency Department (ED). The elderly, in particular those residing in Residential Aged Care Facilities and those with a non-English speaking background, have been identified as patient groups vulnerable to medication misadventure.Objectiveto analyse the incidence of discrepancies in medication histories in these demographic groups when pharmacist elicited medication histories were compared with those taken by ED physicians. It also aimed to investigate the incidence of medication related ED presentations.