Structural funding bias in red meat research: the elephant in the room.

This study examines the trajectory of patients’ medication lists from pre-admission through hospitalization and post-discharge at Norwegian hospitals. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a five-year global initiative called . Medication errors pose a significant financial burden on healthcare systems worldwide and are among the leading causes of patient harm (). One of the target areas is medication safety in transitions of care, as unintended discrepancies affect almost every patient transitioning between care settings (). These discrepancies are particularly common among elderly patients and those with polypharmacy, largely because of communication gaps during care transitions (). A study in Sweden found that elderly patients, on average, experience two medication errors in each transfer between primary and secondary care (). These errors can lead to preventable readmissions, medical harm, and, in some cases, even death (; ). Medication use and medication history are essential components of patient assessment during hospital admission (). Most patients experience changes to their medication list during hospitalization, but some of these may be undocumented or partially documented, leading to medication discrepancies (). General practitioners (GPs) often regard the medication list as the most valuable part of hospital discharge summaries, yet these summaries frequently contain deficient or poor-quality medication information (; ). Several studies have highlighted gaps in the transfer of medication information during transitions between primary and secondary care. For instance, found that information transfer often lacks important medication information. A study on elderly patients transitioning from hospital to primary care revealed that discharge reports are often delayed or lost (). In a quantitative study of discharge summaries in Sweden, medication discrepancies are most commonly observed in the infectious medicine, oncology, and surgery departments (). The complexity of the medication list is particularly evident in the hospital setting, where patient medication information is spread across six to seven different information technology systems in seven Norwegian hospitals (). The , identified medication management as a critical vulnerability. To address these challenges, the Norwegian government aims to implement a shared medication list nationwide. However, the findings of this study suggest that, while new technology may address some issues, it is unlikely to be a panacea and could introduce unforeseen challenges.