Preventing errors in pharmacological therapy is a priority to ensure the safety of children when they move from one care setting to another within the health care system, including transfers of care from one health care professional to another, in primary, secondary, and tertiary settings. Medication review and pharmacological reconciliation are essential components of the medication management process and facilitate improved patient safety during care transitions. Specifically, pharmacological reconciliation serves as an effective tool to protect patients from adverse drug events that may occur during these transfers. The high prevalence of therapeutic errors and inappropriate prescriptions is a significant issue within the health care system, necessitating the implementation of strategies to prevent drug-related adverse events. A proper medication review and pharmacological reconciliation are among the best strategies to ensure the quality of care by preventing therapeutic errors due to inadequate knowledge of ongoing therapies. Pharmacological reconciliation is one of the five guiding principles for patients safety recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its standard operating protocol for patient safety. This article, authored by members of the Social Pediatrics working group of the European Pediatric Association, Union of National Pediatric Societies and Associations, briefly outlines the fundamental elements that characterize an efficient medication review and pharmacological reconciliation in pediatrics, emphasizing their importance for the correct clinical management of children.4 Our aim is to further raise pediatricians' awareness of the importance of these practices in clinical management and to promote a more direct role for clinical pharmacologists in optimizing patient care, ultimately reducing medication discrepancies during care transitions.

The Importance of Medication Review and Pharmacological Reconciliation in Pediatrics

Massimo Pettoello-Mantovani
;
Ida Giardino
Investigation
;
2024-01-01

Abstract

Preventing errors in pharmacological therapy is a priority to ensure the safety of children when they move from one care setting to another within the health care system, including transfers of care from one health care professional to another, in primary, secondary, and tertiary settings. Medication review and pharmacological reconciliation are essential components of the medication management process and facilitate improved patient safety during care transitions. Specifically, pharmacological reconciliation serves as an effective tool to protect patients from adverse drug events that may occur during these transfers. The high prevalence of therapeutic errors and inappropriate prescriptions is a significant issue within the health care system, necessitating the implementation of strategies to prevent drug-related adverse events. A proper medication review and pharmacological reconciliation are among the best strategies to ensure the quality of care by preventing therapeutic errors due to inadequate knowledge of ongoing therapies. Pharmacological reconciliation is one of the five guiding principles for patients safety recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its standard operating protocol for patient safety. This article, authored by members of the Social Pediatrics working group of the European Pediatric Association, Union of National Pediatric Societies and Associations, briefly outlines the fundamental elements that characterize an efficient medication review and pharmacological reconciliation in pediatrics, emphasizing their importance for the correct clinical management of children.4 Our aim is to further raise pediatricians' awareness of the importance of these practices in clinical management and to promote a more direct role for clinical pharmacologists in optimizing patient care, ultimately reducing medication discrepancies during care transitions.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11369/466054
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