Medication reconciliation is defined as

• A. The process of refilling medications automatically at discharge.
• B. A financial audit of drug costs.
• C. The process of creating the most accurate list of a patient’s medications and comparing it with current orders to prevent errors.
• D. A procedure to discontinue all medications at discharge.

Answer: (C)

Medication reconciliation is about making sure you have the complete and accurate list of everything a patient is taking and that this list matches the current orders. This process helps prevent errors such as omissions, duplications, incorrect doses, or harmful drug interactions, especially during transitions of care like admission, transfer, or discharge. It involves collecting information on all medications, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements, verifying them against the physician’s orders, and resolving any discrepancies before the patient continues care. This is the best description because it directly describes documenting all medications and aligning them with active orders to prevent errors. The other options describe automated refills, financial audits, or stopping all medications at discharge, none of which address the essential verification and alignment step.