Medication Reconciliation: What It Is and Why It Saves Lives

When you’re taking several medications at once, medication reconciliation, the process of comparing a patient’s current medication list with newly prescribed or discontinued drugs to avoid errors. Also known as drug reconciliation, it’s not just paperwork—it’s a safety net that stops deadly mix-ups before they happen. Think of it like double-checking your bank statement: if you see a charge you didn’t make, you call the bank. With meds, the stakes are higher. A simple mistake—like missing a blood thinner or doubling up on a painkiller—can land you in the hospital.

It’s especially vital for people with polypharmacy, the use of multiple medications at the same time, often seen in older adults or those with chronic conditions. Around 40% of adults over 65 take five or more drugs daily. That’s a lot of chances for something to go wrong. Drug interactions, when one medication changes how another works in your body can turn a harmless pill into a danger. For example, ibuprofen can raise blood pressure, while some antibiotics make birth control useless. These aren’t rare edge cases—they show up in nearly every post in this collection, from NSAID-triggered asthma to HIV drugs cutting contraceptive effectiveness.

Medication reconciliation isn’t just for hospitals. It matters every time you switch doctors, get discharged, or start a new prescription. It’s why post-menopausal women need to review their meds—hormone shifts change how drugs behave. It’s why teens on antidepressants need close monitoring. And it’s why someone taking insulin glargine, domperidone, or nilotinib needs their whole list checked, not just the new one. This isn’t about bureaucracy. It’s about making sure you’re not taking something that could hurt you.

What you’ll find here isn’t theory. These are real stories of people who nearly got hurt because no one checked their meds. The posts below cover how to spot dangerous combos, what to ask your pharmacist, how to keep your own list updated, and why skipping this step—even once—is a gamble with your life.