The physician’s role in medication reconciliation: Issues, strategies and safety principles

Recognizing the importance and complexity of medication reconciliation, the American Medical Association (AMA) convened an expert panel of physicians and pharmacists from across the United States to address medication reconciliation in the context of medication safety and, specifically, the physician’s role in medication reconciliation. Panel members represented various areas of expertise, including family medicine, internal medicine, endocrinology, gerontology, radiation oncology, anesthesiology, academic medicine, medical research, hospitalists, and physicians who specialize in vulnerable populations and transitions in care.

In “The physician’s role in medication reconciliation,” the panel aims to heighten physician awareness of the integral role of reconciliation in the safe use of medications and to provide a framework for physicians to understand their personal roles and responsibilities in this often difficult process of care. The principles put forth help define the scope of work and the roles that physicians can and should play in assuring that the benefits of medication reconciliation are available for their patients in all settings of care.