Ask the expert: Preventing medication errors during care transitions

Q: How can hospital safety teams help reduce discrepancies in medication lists during admission, transfer, and discharge?

Holly Herring, PharmD, regional director of specialty pharmacy operations at Clearway Health: Medication reconciliation remains one of the most critical and challenging components of patient safety, particularly during transitions such as admission, transfer, and discharge. Discrepancies in medication lists, missed doses, and communication gaps can lead to preventable harm, especially in complex cases involving chronic conditions or specialty therapies. To reduce these risks, hospital safety teams must collaborate closely with pharmacy operations to ensure accurate, timely, and patient-centered medication management.

If a patient is taking 10 medications, the pharmacy team engages with them at least 10 times, each interaction centered on ensuring those medications are safe and effective. Every one of those moments is an opportunity to catch potential issues, prevent harm, and support better health outcomes, an impact few other care teams can match.

That’s why having pharmacy operations deeply involved in hospital safety is so important: Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to see the full picture of a patient’s medication use, coordinate across departments, and safeguard against errors before they reach the bedside. Their proactive role transforms routine medication checks into powerful interventions that protect patients and elevate the quality of care.

Editor’s note: This Q&A was excerpted from our Patient Safety Monitor Journal newsletter.