Good Medicine



It is imperative to the safe care of our patients that an accurate and complete medication history is taken at every visit. Medications must be reviewed for compliance with the agreed upon treatment plan as well as for drug interactions and side effects.

National Patient Safety Goals: 

*Take extra care with patients who take medicines to thin their blood.

*Record and pass along correct information about a patient’s medicines.   Find out what medicines the patient is taking. Compare those medicines to new medicines given to the patient. Make sure the patient knows which medicines to take when they are at home. Tell the patient it is important to bring their up-to-date list of medicines every time they visit a doctor.


This is especially important for patients prescribed anticoagulation therapy. If an adequate medication history is not taken, patients may be prescribed warfarin and continue to take an over the counter drug like aspirin. This dangerous combination puts patients at serious risk of major hemorrhage and possibly death. Clinicians ought to take a complete medication history at every visit. Patients may see more than one doctor or other health care provider or healer and may also start new preparations that may impact on therapy. e.g. Patient is on warfarin and starts taking gingko for “improving memory.” Gingko has been shown in some reports to increase the risk of hemorrhage while on warfarin.

There are approximately 15 million harm events in US Hospitals annually. Half of all harm events are related to medication errors.  Please take an accurate and complete medication history at every outpatient visit, admission or discharge to the hospital, and during transfer of patients through the hospital.

Our patients rely on us to help them avoid harm.


Johnson, SG, et.al. Outcomes Associated with Combined Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Therapy. Chest 2008; 133: 948-954.

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