Communication and collaboration key to successful medication reconciliation

April 24, 2019

Earlier this month almost 800 students and practicing professionals in the fields of pharmacy, medicine, and nursing participated in the 2019 Interprofessional Medication Reconciliation event (IP MedRec). The event was held in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Life Sciences buildings, with remote site participation in Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George.

The goal of medication reconciliation is to ensure consistency in the medications a patient is taking as they proceed through transitions of care – from admission to discharge and beyond.

Dr. Judith Soon, associate professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and chair of the IP MedRec Planning Committee, emphasizes that this process is a team responsibility. “The IP MedRec educational program provides an exceptional opportunity to train future healthcare practitioners to work together to provide high quality medication reconciliation at transitions in care,” says Dr. Soon.

The case study activity on the day was based on an actual patient, in order to simulate the challenges faced by health care practitioners across British Columbia.

“Students learn to collaborate, communicate, and foster interprofessional relationships by working together for a common goal: to safely care for a medically complex, frail senior from admission to discharge,” says Dr. Mark Fok, geriatrician and internist, UBC Faculty of Medicine, and member of the IP MedRec Planning Committee. Dr. Fok co-presented the debriefing presentation in Vancouver this year.

Now in its seventh-year running, the IP MedRec event continues to grow. Attendees included pharmacy, medicine, nursing, nurse practitioner, and pharmacy technician students as well as practicing community pharmacists, nurses, and pharmacy technicians. Students from Trinity Western University and Okanagan College participated in the event for the first time this year.

The second-year nursing students from Trinity Western University learned much from their day at IP MedRec, gaining new insights about how the interprofessional team can work together for the good of the patient,” says Dr. Sheryl Reimer-Kirkham, acting dean and professor, Trinity Western University School of Nursing.

“The School of Nursing appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with UBC’s pharmacy and medicine programs for this innovative event.”

The annual Interprofessional Medication Reconciliation event is hosted by The University of British Columbia Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in conjunction with UBC Faculty of Medicine and the Schools of Nursing, together with The University of Victoria, The University of Northern British Columbia, Okanagan College, Langara College, and Trinity Western University.

Top image: 2019 IP MedRec event at UBC Life Sciences Centre. Justin Ohata, UBC Pharm Sci.


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