Percentage of patients taking medicine(s) at discharge whose discharge summaries contain a current, accurate and comprehensive medicines list. Patients refers to all patients admitted for at least 24 hours whose care is transferred from the hospital inpatient setting to home or a community-based care facility. List of medicines refers to the list of the patient's ongoing medicines that will be communicated to the healthcare professional(s) taking over the patient's care after discharge. The list of medicines in the discharge summary should list: all on-going medicines to be taken by the patient, including the dose and frequency for each medicine; all prescription, over-the-counter, and complementary medicines; and all regular, intermittent and "as required" medicines. To determine whether the list of medicines in the discharge summary is current, accurate and comprehensive, the auditor should compare the summary with the medicines prescribed on all current medication charts at the point of discharge; medication management plan or reconciliation form (if used) for any changes to the medication regimen made during the episode of care; patient's admission medication history/list of medicines taken prior to presentation to hospital to check that any medicines withheld on or during admission are included as appropriate and that all changes are accounted for. All medicines, doses and frequencies should match up. Any discrepancies that cannot be accounted for by the auditor should be taken to mean that the list of medicines in the discharge summary is not current, accurate and comprehensive.

Number of patients taking medicine(s) at discharge whose discharge summaries contain a current, accurate and comprehensive medicines list

Number of patients taking medicines at discharge in sample

Patients transferred to another acute care facility; patients cared for in the emergency department.

Audits using discharge documentation, medication charts, medication management plans or reconciliation forms and medical records.

Recommended for local quality improvement processes. Not regularly reported at national level.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and NSW Therapeutic Advisory Group Inc. (2014), National Quality Use of Medicines Indicators for Australian Hospitals. ACSQHC, Sydney www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/migrated/SAQ127NationalQUMIndicatorsV14-FINAL-D14-39602.pdf page 98