A nurse is teaching a newly licensed nurse about medication reconciliation. The nurse should instruct the newly licensed nurse to perform medication reconciliation for which of the following clients?

A. A client who has a referral for social services: While social service referrals are important for discharge planning and support, they do not involve changes in the client’s clinical care or medication regimen, so medication reconciliation is not typically required. B. A client who is transported to radiology: Temporary transport to another department for diagnostic testing does not involve a change in care level or medication orders, so medication reconciliation is unnecessary in this scenario. C. A client who is transferred to a step-down unit: Medication reconciliation is essential when transferring between units or levels of care to ensure continuity and safety. It helps prevent omissions, duplications, dosing errors, or drug interactions during transitions. D. A client who has a consultation for physical therapy: A therapy consultation may involve activity orders but typically does not affect medication management. Therefore, medication reconciliation is not routinely needed in this context.