Improving the Management of Patients’ Own Medications in Hospitalized Older Adults: A Multidisciplinary Before-And-After Intervention Study

Purpose

Patients’ own medications (POMs) may pose safety risks when their use is not integrated into hospital medication-management processes. This study evaluated a multidisciplinary intervention for POM management in hospitalized older adults. Patients and Methods: This single-center before-and-after intervention study was conducted from March 2024 to February 2025. The intervention comprised five coordinated components: physician-led assessment, authorization, order entry, guidance, and monitoring; pharmacist-led verification, order review, and record maintenance; nurse-led verification, supervision, and education using color-coded labels (green, approved for use; red, not to be used; yellow, awaiting confirmation); IT-led integration of POM information into the electronic medication administration record; and procurement-led upgrades to storage equipment. The primary outcome was the incidence rate of POM-related medication errors per 1000 patient-days. Secondary outcomes were correct POM documentation within 24 hours of admission and correct POM storage at the pre-discharge assessment.