Surgery cancelled because of medication management issues

Problems with management of medications create potential for unnecessary suspension of surgery. Spanish researchers have recently demonstrated that cancellation of elective surgical procedures due to inadequate management of chronic medications can be reduced with appropriate pharmacy services. Over a 4 month period, 5415 surgical procedures were scheduled but 793 (14.6%) were cancelled. Cancellations due to inadequate patient preparation accounted for 5.3% (42 cases), and in 19 cases were related to incorrect medication management (2.4% of all cancellations). Drugs involved were acenocoumarol (6), enoxaparin (4), clopidogrel (4), direct‐acting oral anticoagulants (2), acetylsalicylic acid (1), tocilizumab (1) and leflunomide (1). The Pharmacy Department now offers a service to patients to clarify issues about medicines in preoperative period. See more information here