Slide Presentation of the 2007 Annual Meeting of AHRQ

Defining the Safety Problem

• 11% of all hospital admissions are due to medication complications
  • Dunbar-Jacob 2001
• Inadequate patient medication education is a common reason for non-adherent behaviors and is an independent risk factor for unplanned 30-day hospital readmission
  • Haynes 2004, Marcantonio 1999
• U.S. and Canadian studies have documented inconsistencies in the medication education component of hospital discharge resulting in poor patient knowledge of their medications
  • Alibhai 1999, King 1998, Cortis 1996
• Barriers to hospital-based medication education by pharmacists include lack of time, no organized or systematic program for education, and inadequate discharge notification
  • Griffith 1998