What does the physician do while reconciling Home Medications?

The process of reconciling home medications is crucial for ensuring a patient's safety and continuity of care during their hospital admission. When a physician reconciles home medications, they carefully review each medication a patient is currently taking and determine the appropriate action for each one. This includes specifying whether a medication should be discontinued (DC), replaced with a different medication, reordered for the patient's current admission, or not ordered at all. This thorough review helps to avoid medication errors, reduce the risk of adverse drug interactions, and ensure that the patient receives the best possible care tailored to their current health status.

The other choices do not capture the full scope of responsibilities involved in medication reconciliation. Simply adding new orders does not address ongoing medications that need to be evaluated for their relevance in the current treatment plan. Reviewing past admissions provides historical data but does not directly impact the assessment of current medications. Communicating with nursing staff is certainly important, but it is primarily a supportive action; it does not encompass the critical decision-making aspect of evaluating each medication's appropriateness during admission. Therefore, the comprehensive approach taken in the correct choice emphasizes the physician's role in ensuring medication safety and effective management.