Medline, CINAHL, and Google Scholar were searched from 1998 2010 using the following search terms: medication communication, medication management, medication error, patient safety, and/or ambulatory care.
With respect to medication literacy and the cognitive functioning of home care recipients, these findings mirror those of Godfrey & colleagues (2013) who found that individual knowledge and cognitive functioning were significant issues for medication management and medication errors.
The inclusion of a pharmacist in a community palliative care team lead to an increase in the medication-related knowledge and skills of its members, improved patients' medication management, and minimised related errors.
In addition to the e-Rx, the electronic health record (EHR) and clinical decision support systems (CDSS), both e-applications that can support clinicians' prescribing activities, have been widely implemented and are regarded as important means to reduce the number of errors in medication management.
The complexity of medication delivery systems in the RACFs combined with human factors suggests that an error-free medication management environment is probably unlikely [ 70, 71].
6 Research into causes of medication problems has tended to focus on identifying and classifying errors in the medication management process.
Older people are commonly prescribed complex multi-drug regimens while also experiencing declines in the cognitive and physical abilities required for medication management, leading to increased risk of medication errors and need for assisted living.
Safe medication management is an important healthcare topic, as medication errors are a significant source of iatrogenic injury to patients.
During the workshop 41 possible sources of medication errors and 41 strategies to improve medication management have been identified.
Future studies should aim to lower the cost burden of FN by focusing on interventions that can improve medication management, such as having a clinical pharmacist to review prescribed medications to reduce potential medication errors, and to optimize the medication management strategies [ 25].
