Medication reconciliation process at Kennedy Lodge wins award
Revera recognizes home for its dedication to medication safety
Wednesday July 7, 2010 -- Deron Hamel
Kennedy Lodge has won Revera’s Medication Systems Improvement Award for the Toronto long-term care home’s medication reconciliation process.

Based on evidence indicating that medication reconciliation processes are reducing the incidence of medication error, Kennedy Lodge launched its initiative with new admissions in September 2009.

With new legislation in place to help ensure medication safety, launching a medication reconciliation program at the home has helped stay ahead of the curve, says director of care Grace Campo.

Medication reconciliation refers to a process whereby hospitals work with patients and caregivers to make sure people are receiving the proper medication and correct doses, administered at the right time.

If a Kennedy Lodge resident is in hospital, for example, staff members have their medical information readily available to pass along to hospital staff.

Campo says an important element of the home’s success implementing the process is its application of the Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle (PDSA), which is what helped the team consider what it was trying to accomplish, says Campo.

“Taking this step-by-step approach, Kennedy Lodge was able to successfully implement medication reconciliation for new admissions and readmissions on all units,” says Campo.

Additionally, staff members at Kennedy Lodge have been participating in a medication reconciliation webinar learning series, which is being conducted under the direction of the Quality Healthcare Network and Safer Healthcare Now.

“With regards to the webinar, a lot of our registered staff are following that strategy, which helps them ensure that the medication is safer and that all the information is being provided,” says Campo.

Evidence shows this is leading to positive results.

“At the end of every end month we were doing the audits to make sure the staff is following the process, which they are,” says Campo.

Asked what the best thing is that could happen from winning the award, Campo says it would be to see other long-term care homes become involved with the webinar to help spread knowledge about medication reconciliation.

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