Transfer of care schemes in Germany and the United States

摘要

In Germany, a scheme using a standardised, national medication record has been developed, specifically to tackle the issue of medicines' safety at transfer of care. Pilot studies started in 2015 after more than 20 organisations worked together to devise the scheme. It uses a 2D barcode that allows information about a patient's medicines to be read and transferred electronically between oare settings. Patients are given a printed version of the information whenever a change is made. Doctors are responsible for inputting most of the information through electronic links with patient records but pharmacists enter information about over-the-counter medicines. A study presented at the German Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ADKA) congress in Aachen from 2-4 June 2016 suggested that pharmacists should be able to create the records in the first place~5. The German approach obviates the need for medicines reconciliation activities, since the same list is held by patients, family doctors, community pharmacists and hospital doctors and pharmacists.