Twelve-week project to improve medication reconciliation at hospitals in Wellington, New Zealand.

Inaccurate prescribing of medications on admission to hospital exposes patients to significant risk, both during the admission and at discharge. Initial data at Capital and Coast District Health Board (CCDHB, Wellington, New Zealand) showed that 0% of medication reconciliations initiated by pharmacy were completed correctly. A widespread lack of awareness of existing processes and communication differences between doctors and pharmacists were identified as root causes of the problem.