| Course | NU141CL Pharmacology for Nursing Clinical |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 7 |
| Paper type | Medication reconciliation |
| Length | About 580 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BSN (prelicensure) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NU141CL Unit 7
Three Sources, Eight Products, Four Discrepancies: A Medication Reconciliation for a Composite 81-Year-Old Man Comparing His Own Account, the Pharmacy Fill Record and the Bottles His Daughter Brought In
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
NU141CL: Pharmacology for Nursing Clinical
Unit 7 Medication Reconciliation
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The patient is composite; products and doses are illustrative and bracketed, and reconciliation decisions belong to the prescriber with the pharmacist.
The Patient and the Sources
Patient P, a composite 81-year-old retired postal carrier, was admitted after falling at home. He lives alone and manages his own medicines. Source one is his account at admission. Source two is the outpatient pharmacy's fill history for the past six months, obtained by phone. Source three is the bag of bottles his daughter brought from his kitchen and bathroom.
The Eight Products
1. Lisinopril [20] mg daily. Patient: yes. Pharmacy: filled monthly. Bottles: present, about the right count. Agreement: all three.
2. Amlodipine [10] mg daily. Patient: "stopped it, my ankles swelled." Pharmacy: still filled monthly. Bottles: present, nearly full. Discrepancy one: he stopped it himself, but refills continue.
3. Metformin [500] mg twice daily. Patient: yes. Pharmacy: filled. Bottles: present. Agreement.
4. Glipizide [5] mg daily. Patient: did not mention it. Pharmacy: filled. Bottles: present, about half used. Discrepancy two: he forgot to report a drug that can cause low blood sugar, which could contribute to a fall.
5. Diphenhydramine [25] mg nightly, a drugstore sleep aid, "for sleep." Patient: mentioned only when asked about sleep aids. Pharmacy: not on record. Bottles: present, a large bottle. Discrepancy three: a sedating anticholinergic drug, not on any prescription record, in an older adult who fell.
6. Atorvastatin [40] mg daily. Agreement.
7. Aspirin [81] mg daily, over the counter. Patient: yes. Pharmacy: not on record. Bottles: present. Minor discrepancy, resolved by recording it.
8. Old prescription bottle of hydrocodone-acetaminophen from a dental procedure two years ago. Patient: "I take one when my back hurts." Pharmacy: single fill two years ago. Bottles: present, a few left. Discrepancy four: an expired opioid used occasionally, not on any current list.
Two of the four discrepancies were invisible on the pharmacy record, because the patient bought one product himself and saved the other from years ago.
Why Each Source Matters
His own account showed what he actually does, including stopping amlodipine, but missed glipizide. The pharmacy record captured prescriptions, including the forgotten one, but missed over-the-counter products and showed amlodipine refills he no longer takes. The bottles showed the sleep aid and the old opioid that neither of the other sources revealed. Systematic reviews of reconciliation practice support using more than one source and involving pharmacists, which reduces medication discrepancies (Mueller et al., 2012).
Brought to the Prescriber and Pharmacist
The four discrepancies were reported, with particular attention to three possible contributors to his fall: glipizide with low blood sugar, diphenhydramine, which older-adult prescribing guidance discourages because of sedation and confusion, and the occasional hydrocodone. The amlodipine question was flagged for discussion about his ankle swelling (Burchum & Rosenthal, 2022).
Outcome
The prescriber held glipizide pending glucose monitoring, stopped diphenhydramine, removed the old opioid from his list and arranged safe disposal, and documented that amlodipine had been stopped by the patient. His daughter was given an updated list to keep on his refrigerator, and the list was reviewed with him at discharge, since a reconciled list is only useful if the patient leaves knowing it (Potter et al., 2023).
References
Burchum, J. R., & Rosenthal, L. D. (2022). Lehne's pharmacology for nursing care (11th ed.). Elsevier.
Mueller, S. K., Sponsler, K. C., Kripalani, S., & Schnipper, J. L. (2012). Hospital-based medication reconciliation practices: A systematic review. Archives of Internal Medicine, 172(14), 1057-1069. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2012.2246
Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Stockert, P. A., & Hall, A. M. (2023). Fundamentals of nursing (11th ed.). Elsevier.
NU141CL Unit 7 instructions, in plain terms
Unit 7 usually asks for a written medication reconciliation comparing more than one source of a patient's home medicines. Prompts commonly want every product listed, each source's version recorded, discrepancies identified and explained, and the issues brought to the prescriber or pharmacist. Faculty look for systematic comparison, attention to over-the-counter products and old prescriptions that appear on no record, and judgment about which discrepancies matter most for this patient. For an older adult admitted after a fall, sedating drugs and those that lower blood sugar deserve priority. The reconciliation should end with a clear outcome and an updated list the patient can take home. Note who provided each source and when.
How this NU141CL Unit 7 example is built
The reconciliation opens with the patient and the three sources. Eight numbered products follow, each showing what the patient said, what the pharmacy filled and what the bottles showed, with an agreement or discrepancy noted. Four discrepancies emerge, and the highlighted line notes that two were invisible on the pharmacy record. A section credits each source with what it caught and missed, citing a systematic review of reconciliation practice. The next section explains how the fall shaped which discrepancies were reported first, with a margin note on that ranking. The outcome describes held, stopped and removed products and an updated list reviewed at discharge. Every discrepancy is written as a plain fact, without blame.
NU141CL Unit 7 rubric: what earns full points
Medication reconciliations in NU 141CL are usually graded on thoroughness, accuracy of comparison, clinical judgment, and communication. Thoroughness earns credit for including every product, including over-the-counter items, supplements and old prescriptions. Accuracy rewards a clear line-by-line comparison across sources. Clinical judgment is weighted heavily and rewards prioritizing discrepancies by risk for this patient, such as sedating drugs after a fall. Communication points go to reporting discrepancies to the prescriber and pharmacist and leaving the patient with an updated list. A table or parallel list format, with sources cited in APA 7, helps the reader see each discrepancy at a glance. Explaining why each source missed what it missed shows understanding of the process itself.
NU141CL Unit 7 help from the desk
Reconciliations often rely on a single source, usually the patient's memory or the pharmacy printout, and miss what only the other sources reveal. Another frequent gap is ignoring over-the-counter sleep aids and old pain pills, which are common contributors to falls in older adults. Some papers list discrepancies without saying which matter most. Many end without an updated list for the patient. Compare at least three sources, record each product's version in each, ask directly about drugstore products and old prescriptions, rank discrepancies by risk, report them, and make sure the patient leaves with a list that matches what he will actually take. Ask the family to bring every bottle, including the bathroom cabinet.
Get an NU141CL Unit 7 example written to your instructions
Attach the Unit 7 case with its home list and admission orders, or sketch the composite you want, along with the rubric and your program's reconciliation form. Every quantity stays bracketed and every discrepancy is classed and routed. Real patient lists need names, dates and pharmacy details removed first. The first custom sample is free; expect it within 24-48h. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More NU141CL papers and BSN samples
- NU141CL Unit 1: Discussion Board Post
- NU141CL Unit 2: Medication Worksheet
- NU141CL Unit 3: Administration Note
- NU141CL Unit 4: Route Comparison
- NU141CL Unit 5: Case Study Analysis
- NU141CL Unit 6: Patient Education Handout
- NU141CL Unit 8: Error Analysis
- NU141CL Unit 9: Post-conference Post
- NU141CL Unit 10: Final Case Presentation
- NU141 Unit 7: Seminar Reflection
- NU140CL Unit 7: Patient Education Handout
- NU140 Unit 7: Skills Documentation
- NU108 Unit 7: Communication Scenario
NU141CL Unit 7 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NU141CL Unit 7 sample paper?
The full NU141CL Unit 7 medication reconciliation is on this page, comparing eight products across three sources, with four discrepancies, the role of each source, priorities and outcome, citing three sources. We can reconcile a medication list from your own case.
Why use more than one source for medication reconciliation?
Each source misses something. The patient's memory missed a prescription, the pharmacy record missed drugstore products, and only the bottles showed an old opioid, so comparing all three gives the full picture.
Why is diphenhydramine a concern in an older adult?
It is sedating and anticholinergic, which can cause drowsiness and confusion and contribute to falls. Prescribing guidance for older adults generally discourages its use.
How did the fall shape the reconciliation?
Products that could have contributed, glipizide with low blood sugar, diphenhydramine and the occasional opioid, were reported first, ahead of less urgent discrepancies.
What should the patient leave with after reconciliation?
An updated list matching what he will actually take, reviewed with him at discharge. In the sample, his daughter also kept a copy on his refrigerator.