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"The interface between different care settings is particularly prone to error and a potential target for interventions to reduce medication error.”

(Easton, K., T. Morgan, et al. (2008). Medication safety in the community: A review of the literature. Sydney, National Prescribing Service).

Communication problems between settings of care, or between health professionals, are a significant factor in causing medication errors and adverse drug events. Unintentional changes to patients' medicines regimens often happen during hospital admissions. These unintended changes can cause serious problems during a hospital stay or when patients are discharged.

The process of medication reconciliation has been shown to reduce errors and adverse events associated with poor quality information at transfer of care and inaccurate documentation of medication histories on patient admission to hospital.

Assuring medication accuracy at transitions of care through the process of medication reconciliation is one of five patient safety priorities nominated by the World Health Alliance on Patient Safety.

What is medication reconciliation?

Medication reconciliation is a formal process of obtaining and verifying a complete and accurate list of each patient's current medicines. Matching the medicines the patient should be prescribed to those they are actually prescribed. Where there are discrepancies, these are discussed with the prescriber and reasons for changes to therapy are documented. When care is transferred (e.g. between wards, hospitals or home), a current and accurate list of medicines, including reasons for change is provided to the person taking over the patient's care. Points of transition that require special attention are:

• Admission to hospital


• Transfer from the Emergency Department to other care areas (wards, Intensive Care, or home)


• Transfer from the Intensive Care Unit to the ward


• From the hospital to home, residential aged care facilities or to another hospital.

The Commission is developing a range of educational materials and tools to assist hospitals introduce the process of medication reconciliation. These include a national Medication Management Plan and a user guide.

National Medication Management Plan

The national Medication Management Plan (MMP) is an initiative of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission). The MMP provides health service providers with a standardised form that can be used by nursing, medical, pharmacy and allied health staff to improve the accuracy of information recorded on admission and available to the clinician responsible for therapeutic decision making.

A standardised form to record the medicines taken prior to presentation at the hospital and use for reconciling patients' medicines on admission, intra-hospital transfer and at discharge is considered essential for the medication reconciliation process. The national MMP provides Australian hospitals with a suitable form to use for this purpose The MMP form has been designed for use in adult and paediatric patients.

The MMP is based on the Medication Action Plan developed by the Safe Medication Management Unit, Queensland Health. This work was done in consultation with nurses, doctors and pharmacists. The MMP aligns with the Australian Pharmaceutical Advisory Council's Guiding principles to achieve continuity in medication management. It incorporates the minimum data set for a medication history outlined in guiding principle 4 - Accurate medication history.

National Medication Management Plan PDF version
National Medication Management Plan design files can be supplied on request.

Support materials for the National Medication Management Plan

• Using the Medication Management Plan (Flash training tool) this training presentation with audio voice over has been developed to assist healthcare professionals to use the Medication Management Plan (MMP) to obtain and document a complete and accurate medication history, known as a Best Possible Medication History or BPMH. It also provides an introduction to the four steps of medication reconciliation and highlights the evidence for, and the benefits of, having a formal medication reconciliation process.
• A pdf version of the Medication Management Plan training presentation and speaker notes are also available. MMP training presentation (PDF 7520 KB) and Speaker Notes for MMP Presentation (PDF 80 KB)
• The presentation requires users to have Flash Version 9 installed. Flash is available from www.adobe.com.
• Guide on how to complete the MMP (PDF document)
• MMP Poster (PDF document)

Issues Register for National Medication Management Plan

The Commission maintains the Medication Management Plan (MMP). Suggested changes to the National Medication Management Plan should be referred to jurisdictional representatives on the Health Service Medication Expert Advisory Group.

Report of the National Medication Reconciliation Seminar - Oct 2010

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care held a one day national seminar in Sydney on 11th October 2010 to introduce the National Medication Management Plan (MMP) and other resources to assist in the implementation of medication reconciliation in hospitals. View the Report on the National Medication Reconciliation Seminar






Medication reconciliation prevents harm

These educational materials provide clinicians with information on the four steps of the medication reconciliation process, evidence to support its use and the importance of team work and communication among staff involved in the patient's care.

• MATCH UP Medicines poster (PDF 1582 KB)


• MATCH UP Medicines leaflet (PDF 1944 KB)


• MATCH UP Medicines instructions (PDF 917 KB)

Useful Resources

• Presentation: Medication reconciliation in the private sector - Dr Megan Robertson (PDF 91 KB)
• International Medication Reconciliation websites (PDF 95 KB)

World Health Organization's High 5s Medication Reconciliation Program

• World Health Organization's High 5s Medication Reconciliation Program

Updated: 11 November, 2011

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