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No free pass for hospital compliance on January 1

Pharmacy Regulation Resource, October 19, 2005

Don't expect any leeway from the JCAHO when it comes to compliance with the medication reconciliation goal once the calendar turns to January 1.

Surveyors will look for full compliance with the goal at the first of the year, Rick Croteau, MD, JCAHO executive director for strategic initiatives, told hospital officials at the Hospital Executive Briefings conference in Rosemont, IL, in September.

The reason for that stance-despite many hospitals expressing concern about full compliance-is that the JCAHO has given organizations a year to develop a plan, he said.

"It worries me that it's a significant cultural change," Croteau said. "It's a team activity. It's more nursing staff that should be involved, not just doctors."

Croteau warned that scores on the medication reconciliation goal could change dramatically because the JCAHO in 2005 only required hospitals to have a plan in place for 2006 implementation. The commission did not have any noncompliance data available for 2005.

Croteau offered four steps to help a hospital lay the foundation of its medication reconciliation efforts:

• Develop a complete list of a patient's medications.
• Compare the list to any new orders for medications. Look for omissions; duplications; drug interactions; or name, dose, or route confusion.
• Update the list when orders change.
• Make sure the next provider of care receives the medication list.

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