Best Possible Medication History – Clinical Resources
Best Possible Medication History (BPMH)
A Best Possible Medication History (BPMH) includes an interview with the patient, family, or caregiver to verify all medications that a patient is taking (prescribed and non-prescribed).
- Up to half of all medicines prescribed are not taken as recommended. There are many reasons a patient might not take their medications as prescribed: cost, side effects, difficulty understanding, forgetting, perceptions and health beliefs, and lack of involvement in decision-making.
- It is not sufficient to solely use the medications listed on the PIP MedRec Form (Pre-Admission Medication List / Prescriber Order Form). Some medications do not show up on PIP (example: over-the-counter medications, traditional medicines, natural health products, study drugs, medical cannabis, and recreational drugs).
Ensure a copy of the BPMH travels with the patient across care transitions. Ultimately the BPMH completed on initial admission is used to create an accurate discharge medication prescription.