What happens if a prior-to-admission medication is not reviewed during the Discharge Med Rec?

When a prior-to-admission medication is not reviewed during the Discharge Medication Reconciliation process, it is generally considered that the home medication should automatically resume. This process is essential for continuity of care and ensures that patients do not inadvertently miss important medications that they were taking before their hospital admission.

In the context of safe discharge practices, when home medications are not explicitly reviewed and reconciled, the assumption is that these medications should continue unless otherwise noted. This helps prevent any gaps in a patient’s medication regimen, which could lead to adverse health outcomes or complications due to missed doses.

Considering the critical nature of managing a patient's medication list effectively, failing to review a medication does not imply that it should be discontinued or that an alert will be sent to the provider. Instead, the focus remains on facilitating an uninterrupted medication experience for the patient post-discharge.