clinical pharmacology
Drug Errors
Miscommunication among health care providers
Another common source of error is inaccurate transmission of prescription information when a patient's care is transferred from one facility or provider to another (eg, from hospital to rehabilitation facility, from nursing home to hospital, or between a specialist and primary care provider). Communication between different busy providers usually requires active effort, and changes to a drug regimen are common when care is transitioned. Increased attention to communication can help decrease the risk of such errors. Risk has been decreased by various formal drug reconciliation programs, such as preparing a full list of current drugs each time a patient transfers from one facility to another. 