A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE MEDICATION HISTORY OBTAINED BY MEDICAL TEAM AND THE BEST POSSIBLE MEDICATION HISTORY (BPMH) AMONG THE PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED AT SEYYED-AL-SHOHADA THERAPEUTIC EDUCATIONAL CENTER IN URMIA IN 2018

Medication errors are the main cause of harm to hospitalized patients. Medication reconciliation is an intervention designed to reduce adverse drug events. It is also a strategy to identify a wide variety of medication discrepancies. This study aims to compare the medication history obtained by medical team with the best possible medication history (BPMH) among cardiac patients hospitalized at Seyyed-Al-Shohada Therapeutic Educational Center in Urmia in 2018. In this descriptive study, the BPMH of 220 patients was obtained and then compared with the medication history obtained by nurses and assistants. The samples were selected using convenience sampling from mid-February, 2017 to late April, 2018. The data collection tool included a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of demographic information, medication history form of the medical team, and the medication discrepancies checklist. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20. According to the results, the discrepancies identified by comparing the medication history obtained by the medical team (nurses and assistants) with the BPMH were considerable. The medication discrepancies were observed in all examined areas such as the generic name, trade name, form, dosage, consumption time, frequency, and deletion of medication. The results also showed a statistically significant difference between the medication history obtained by the nurses and the one obtained by the assistants. (p<0.05). Given the difference observed between the medication history obtained by the nurses and assistants and the BPMH, medication errors are likely to occur. Thus, the role of administration authorities in medication reconciliation and consequently reducing medical errors is of great significance.