How to use MedRec 2.0
- Start with your trusted medication list. Use the last known good medication list you believe is correct. This may be a current facility list, pharmacy list, patient portal list, discharge list already reviewed by a provider, or another list your care team trusts. This is your source of truth.
- Enter that list first. Paste the trusted baseline list into MedRec 2.0 as the medication list before the change.
- Enter the new list second. When you receive a new hospital discharge, pharmacy, portal, provider, or paper medication list, paste it as the new medication list.
- Review the comparison report. MedRec 2.0 highlights possible added, removed, changed, and unchanged medications, along with selected safety cautions for human review.
- Take changes to a trusted professional. If the report shows changes, bring or share it with your trusted provider, pharmacist, nurse, or care team before making medication decisions.
- Keep the reviewed report. After your care team confirms the correct medication list, save or print the report. Over time, keeping these reports can help create a history of medication changes.
- Use the confirmed list next time. Once a provider or care team confirms the current list, use that updated list as your new source of truth for the next comparison.
Medication orders only: do not enter names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, addresses, phone numbers, or other patient identifiers.
MedRec 2.0 is a free browser-based medication list comparison tool. It helps users paste or dictate two medication lists side by side and review possible differences in drug name, dose, route, schedule, added medications, removed medications, duplicate orders, and selected caution areas.
Medication list comparison is the practical first step in medication reconciliation. MedRec 2.0 does not decide which medications should be started, stopped, changed, or continued. It organizes possible differences so a person can review them more clearly.
Compare medication lists nowSee medication list comparison examples
Compare two medication lists side by side
Medication lists often come from different places. A current list might come from a facility record, patient portal, pharmacy fill history, caregiver note, paper list, or prior clinic record. A new list might come from a hospital discharge summary, after-visit summary, medication card, or copied table.
MedRec 2.0 is designed to help organize those differences. Users paste the first medication list into one box, paste the second medication list into another box, and review a structured comparison. The output is meant to reduce line-by-line scanning burden, not replace clinical judgment.
- Compare a current medication list with a hospital discharge list
- Compare facility orders with a new medication card
- Compare a pharmacy list with a caregiver or portal list
- Compare copied, pasted, dictated, or OCR-copied medication text
- Review likely added, removed, changed, unchanged, duplicate, and caution items
Medication list comparison vs. medication reconciliation
“Medication list comparison” is the plain-language action: looking at two medication lists and finding what appears different.
“Medication reconciliation” is the clinical workflow: confirming the best possible medication history, deciding what should continue, stop, change, or be clarified, and documenting the final medication plan.
MedRec 2.0 supports the comparison step. It can help make possible discrepancies easier to see, but final decisions still require human review by the patient, caregiver, clinician, pharmacist, facility team, or other appropriate reviewer.
Examples of medication list differences MedRec can organize
The examples below show the kind of comparison language MedRec 2.0 can help organize. These examples are not medical advice and do not mean a medication should or should not be taken.
| Current list | New list | Possible comparison result | Why it matters for review |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | Apixaban 5 mg twice daily | Added | A new medication may need indication, dose, bleeding-risk, and monitoring review. |
| Warfarin 5 mg daily | N/A | Removed | A removed anticoagulant may need confirmation that the stop was intentional. |
| Lisinopril 10 mg daily | Lisinopril 20 mg daily | Dose changed | Dose changes can affect blood pressure, renal function, and medication tolerance. |
| Metformin 500 mg twice daily | Metformin 500 mg daily | Frequency changed | Frequency changes may change the total daily dose and treatment plan. |
| Lantus 20 units nightly | Insulin glargine 20 units nightly | Brand/generic wording matched | Brand and generic wording may refer to the same medication, but the order still needs human verification. |
| Gabapentin 300 mg three times daily | Gabapentin 300 mg three times daily | Unchanged | Even unchanged medications may need review when combined with opioids, sedatives, or other high-risk medications. |
Free, no login, and no medication-list storage
MedRec is free to use, requires no login or account, does not request patient identifiers, and does not store medication lists.
Medication lists are compared in the browser workflow. Users should enter medication orders only and avoid names, dates of birth, medical record numbers, addresses, phone numbers, or other identifiers.
MedRec 2.0 is built for review support. It is not a patient portal, does not provide a login, and does not replace a facility’s medication reconciliation process or clinical documentation requirements.
Who may find this useful
This page uses plain-language wording, but the comparison problem affects many different users. MedRec 2.0 may be useful for:
- Nurses and medication reconciliation staff reviewing copied medication lists
- Skilled nursing, long-term care, and post-acute care teams comparing transfer paperwork
- Clinicians or pharmacists reviewing medication discrepancies for follow-up
- Caregivers or individuals comparing a current medication list with a discharge or pharmacy list
- Students and quality-improvement teams learning how medication reconciliation workflows identify discrepancies
What MedRec can and cannot do
MedRec can help organize possible differences
MedRec 2.0 can help organize possible differences in medication name, dose, route, schedule, formulation, instructions, added medications, removed medications, duplicate orders, and selected caution areas. It is especially useful when two lists use different formats, such as a facility order list and a hospital discharge medication card.
MedRec cannot verify the clinical plan by itself
MedRec 2.0 does not know which list is correct. It does not decide whether a medication should be started, stopped, changed, held, or continued. The comparison should be reviewed by a qualified person using the patient’s clinical context, facility policy, prescriber instructions, and available medication history.
Common search phrases this page answers
People may describe this need in different ways. This page is intended for users looking for:
- free medication list comparison tool
- compare two medication lists
- compare hospital discharge medications with a current list
- medication list discrepancy checker
- medication changes after hospital discharge
- medication reconciliation comparison tool
- medication list comparison for skilled nursing or post-acute care
Important safety note
MedRec 2.0 does not decide whether a medication should be started, stopped, changed, or continued. It organizes possible differences for human review. Final decisions should be made by qualified clinical personnel, the patient’s care team, or according to the user’s facility policy.
If a person is unsure about a medication list or a possible discrepancy, they should contact the prescribing clinician, pharmacist, facility care team, or other appropriate healthcare professional.