The costs of adverse drug events in community hospitals

Assessing the Clinical, Economic, and Health Resource Utilization Impacts of Prefilled Syringes Versus Conventional Medication Administration Methods: Results From a Systematic Literature Review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this systematic review was to assess the clinical, economic, and health resource utilization outcomes associated with the use of prefilled syringes in medication administration compared with traditional preparation methods.

DATA SOURCES

We conducted a systematic literature review to evaluate outcomes such as medication errors, wastage, time savings, and contamination in prefilled syringes. Our search encompassed multiple databases, including PubMed and Embase, for studies published between January 1, 2017, and November 1, 2022.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION

Peer-reviewed publications meeting our inclusion criteria underwent rigorous screening, including title, abstract, and full-text article assessments, performed by two reviewers.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Among reviewed articles, 24 met our eligibility criteria. Selected studies were primarily observational (46%) and conducted in Europe (46%). Our findings indicated that prefilled syringes consistently reduced medication errors (by 10%-73%), adverse events (from 1.1 to 0.275 per 100 administrations), wastage (by up to 80% of drug), and preparation time (from 4.0 to 338.0 seconds) (ranges varied by drug type, setting, and dosage). However, there was limited data on contamination. Economically, prefilled syringes reduced waste and error rates, which may translate into overall savings.

RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE

This review highlights the value of prefilled syringes, which can streamline medication delivery, save nursing time, and reduce preventable medication errors. Moreover, prefilled syringes have the potential to minimize medication wastage, optimizing resource utilization and efficiency in health care settings.

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE

Our findings provide new insights into clinical and economic benefits of prefilled syringe adoption. These benefits include improved medication delivery and safety, which can lead to time and cost reductions for health care departments, hospitals, and health systems. However, further real-world research on clinical and economic outcomes, especially in contamination, is needed to better understand the benefits of prefilled syringes.

Evaluating the costs of adverse drug events in hospitalized patients: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Adverse drug events (ADEs) are not only a safety and quality of care issue for patients, but also an economic issue with significant costs. Because they often occur during hospital stays, it is necessary to accurately quantify the costs of ADEs. This review aimed to investigate the methods to calculate these costs, and to characterize their nature.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify methods used to assess the cost of ADEs on Medline, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Original articles published from 2017 to 2022 in English and French were included. Economic evaluations were included if they concerned inpatients.

RESULTS

From 127 studies screened, 20 studies were analyzed. There was a high heterogeneity in nature of costs, methods used, values obtained, and time horizon chosen. A small number of studies considered non-medical (10%), indirect (20%) and opportunity costs (5%). Ten different methods for assessing the cost of ADEs have been reported and nine studies did not explain how they obtained their values.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no consensus in the literature on how to assess the costs of ADEs, due to the heterogeneity of contexts and the choice of different economic perspectives. Our study adds a well-deserved overview of the existing literature that can be a solid lead for future studies and method implementation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration CRD42023413071.

Cost-Effectiveness of Pharmacotherapy for the Treatment of Obesity in Adolescents

Importance

Antiobesity pharmacotherapy is recommended for adolescents ages 12 years and older with obesity. Several medications have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for adolescent use, but the most cost-effective medication remains unclear.

Objective

To estimate the cost-effectiveness of lifestyle counseling alone and as adjunct to liraglutide, mid-dose phentermine and topiramate (7.5 mg phentermine and 46 mg topiramate), top-dose phentermine and topiramate (15 mg phentermine and 92 mg topiramate), or semaglutide among adolescent patients with obesity.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This economic evaluation used a microsimulation model to project health and cost outcomes of lifestyle counseling alone and adjunct to liraglutide, mid-dose phentermine and topiramate, top-dose phentermine and topiramate, or semaglutide over 13 months, 2 years, and 5 years among a hypothetical cohort of 100 000 adolescents with obesity, defined as an initial body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 37. Model inputs were derived from clinical trials, published literature, and national sources. Data were analyzed from April 2022 to July 2023.

Exposures

Lifestyle counseling alone and as adjunct to liraglutide, mid-dose phentermine and topiramate, top-dose phentermine and topiramate, or semaglutide.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), costs (2022 US dollars), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), with future costs and QALYs discounted 3.0% annually. A strategy was considered cost-effective if the ICER was less than $100 000 per QALY gained. The preferred strategy was determined as the strategy with the greatest increase in QALYs while being cost-effective. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were used to assess parameter uncertainty.

Results

The model simulated 100 000 adolescents at age 15 with an initial BMI of 37, of whom 58 000 (58%) were female. At 13 months and 2 years, lifestyle counseling was estimated to be the preferred strategy. At 5 years, top-dose phentermine and topiramate was projected to be the preferred strategy with an ICER of $56 876 per QALY gained vs lifestyle counseling. Semaglutide was projected to yield the most QALYs, but with an unfavorable ICER of $1.1 million per QALY gained compared with top-dose phentermine and topiramate. Model results were most sensitive to utility of weight reduction and weight loss of lifestyle counseling and top-dose phentermine and topiramate.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this economic evaluation of pharmacotherapy for adolescents with obesity, top-dose phentermine and topiramate as adjunct to lifestyle counseling was estimated to be cost-effective after 5 years. Long-term clinical trials in adolescents are needed to fully evaluate the outcomes of pharmacotherapy, especially into adulthood.

Automatic Detection of Adverse Drug Events in Geriatric Care: Study Proposal

BACKGROUND

One-third of older inpatients experience adverse drug events (ADEs), which increase their mortality, morbidity, and health care use and costs. In particular, antithrombotic drugs are among the most at-risk medications for this population. Reporting systems have been implemented at the national, regional, and provider levels to monitor ADEs and design prevention strategies. Owing to their well-known limitations, automated detection technologies based on electronic medical records (EMRs) are being developed to routinely detect or predict ADEs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to develop and validate an automated detection tool for monitoring antithrombotic-related ADEs using EMRs from 4 large Swiss hospitals. We aim to assess cumulative incidences of hemorrhages and thromboses in older inpatients associated with the prescription of antithrombotic drugs, identify triggering factors, and propose improvements for clinical practice.

METHODS

This project is a multicenter, cross-sectional study based on 2015 to 2016 EMR data from 4 large hospitals in Switzerland: Lausanne, Geneva, and Zürich university hospitals, and Baden Cantonal Hospital. We have included inpatients aged ≥65 years who stayed at 1 of the 4 hospitals during 2015 or 2016, received at least one antithrombotic drug during their stay, and signed or were not opposed to a general consent for participation in research. First, clinical experts selected a list of relevant antithrombotic drugs along with their side effects, risks, and confounding factors. Second, administrative, clinical, prescription, and laboratory data available in the form of free text and structured data were extracted from study participants' EMRs. Third, several automated rule-based and machine learning-based algorithms are being developed, allowing for the identification of hemorrhage and thromboembolic events and their triggering factors from the extracted information. Finally, we plan to validate the developed detection tools (one per ADE type) through manual medical record review. Performance metrics for assessing internal validity will comprise the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, F1-score, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values.

RESULTS

After accounting for the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we will include 34,522 residents aged ≥65 years. The data will be analyzed in 2022, and the research project will run until the end of 2022 to mid-2023.

CONCLUSIONS

This project will allow for the introduction of measures to improve safety in prescribing antithrombotic drugs, which today remain among the drugs most involved in ADEs. The findings will be implemented in clinical practice using indicators of adverse events for risk management and training for health care professionals; the tools and methodologies developed will be disseminated for new research in this field. The increased performance of natural language processing as an important complement to structured data will bring existing tools to another level of efficiency in the detection of ADEs. Currently, such systems are unavailable in Switzerland.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/40456.

A Cost-Effectiveness Study Comparing Ready-to-Administer and Traditional Vial-and-Syringe Method for Opioids

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to develop a cost-effectiveness model for manufacturer-prepared prefilled ready-to-administer (RTA) syringe products versus the traditional vial-and-syringe administration of intravenous (IV) opioids.

METHODS

Cost parameters included cost of manufacturer-prepared prefilled RTA syringe product, traditional vial and syringe, drug preparation, drug administration, drug waste, and severity of error. Effectiveness endpoint included number of preparation and administration errors in each comparator arm. Simple decision tree was used, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated as the reduction in the incremental errors per observation with RTA compared with traditional vial-and-syringe method. One-way sensitivity analysis (OWSA) and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) were conducted to test the robustness of the model. TreeAge Pro software was used to create and analyze the decision model. All the cost parameters were converted to USD 2021.

RESULTS

Base-case analysis showed that the cost of the RTA arm was lower by $182.61 and the number of errors in the RTA arm was lower by 94%, compared with the traditional vial-and-syringe arm. The manufacturer-prepared prefilled RTA syringe product was found to be cost-effective with an incremental savings of $22,554 per additional error avoided. Sensitivity analysis showed that ICER value was most sensitive to the probability of errors; however, the results were robust in showing that RTA is the preferred cost-effective option, when both the costs and effectiveness parameters were varied substantially.

CONCLUSION

This economic evaluation  analyzed costs of using manufacturer-prepared prefilled RTA syringe product IV opioids and incremental benefits in terms of reduced errors, adverse events, and their associated costs. Manufacturer-prepared prefilled RTA syringe product was found to be cost-effective, demonstrating cost savings by reduction in the error rates. Integrating and adopting RTA syringe products within a health system could play an important role in improving care, building efficiency, increasing patient safety, and saving money.

Evaluation of Pharmacovigilance System in Iran

BACKGROUND

Evaluating a pharmacovigilance system helps identify its deficiencies and could facilitate measures to remedy and improve the quantity and quality of adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports and other opportunities for pharmacovigilance systems strengthening. This study aimed to evaluate the status of pharmacovigilance in Iran using the World Health Organization (WHO) pharmacovigilance indicators with the prospect of identifying the gaps and areas for improvement.

METHODS

This study was conducted in 2 parts. The first part included a secondary analysis of the national data obtained from the Iranian National Pharmacovigilance Center (PVC) using a structured data collection form based on WHO core pharmacovigilance indicators. In the second part, a 3-month prospective study was carried out to investigate 2 outcome indicators, ie, length of stay and costs of medicine-related hospitalization in all patients of 2 main referral hospitals in the southeast and north of Iran.

RESULTS

Iran has a PVC with national policy, trained staff, and a statutory budget. In 2017, the number of ADR reports was 15.0 per 100 000 population, and 262 signals were detected during the preceding 5 years. The average length of stay and costs of medicine-related hospitalization were 5 days and US$817.2 in Afzalipour hospital and 6.6 days and US$306.7 in Razi hospital, respectively. The status of pharmacovigilance in the Iranian public health programs (PHPs) is unknown, and most of the indicators could not be assessed.

CONCLUSION

A robust pharmacovigilance system is a pivotal part of the overall medicines regulatory system. The Iranian pharmacovigilance system has relatively the proper structural condition. Though the underreporting of ADRs, especially medicine-related deaths, is an important issue, and some indicators' status was unclear. The Iranian pharmacovigilance program requires a higher prioritization, particularly in the PHPs, a greater allocation of resources, and cross-sectoral cooperation to bolster and achieve the pharmacovigilance objectives.

Budget impact and pharmacy costs with targeted use of oliceridine for postsurgical pain in patients at high risk of opioid-related adverse events

BACKGROUND

Oliceridine, a new class of μ-opioid receptor agonist, may be associated with fewer opioid-related adverse events (ORAEs) due to its unique mechanism of action. Thus, it may provide a cost-effective alternative to conventional opioids such as morphine.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Using a decision tree with a 24-hour time horizon, we calculated costs for medication and management of the three most common AEs (oxygen saturation <90%, vomiting, somnolence) following postoperative oliceridine or morphine in high-risk patients. Costs were enumerated as differences in cost of analgesics and resource utilization in the first 24 hours post-surgery. An economic model compared expected AEs and costs in a blended cohort where elderly/obese patients at higher risk for ORAEs received oliceridine while those presumed to be at lower risk received morphine with a cohort that received morphine alone.

RESULTS

In high-risk patients, use of oliceridine resulted in overall savings of $363,944 (in 1,000 patients). Implementing a targeted approach of oliceridine utilization in patients with high risk for ORAEs can save a typical hospital system $122,296 in total cost of care.

CONCLUSION

Use of oliceridine in postoperative care among patients at high risk provides a favorable health economic benefit compared to the use of morphine.

Cost-effectiveness of check of medication appropriateness: methodological approach

Background Adverse drug events following inappropriate prescribing in the hospital cause a substantial and avoidable medical and economic burden to hospitals, payers and patients alike. A clinical rule-based, pharmacist-led medication-review service, the 'Check of Medication Appropriateness' (CMA) was implemented in the University Hospitals Leuven. The CMA is shown to be effective in reducing potentially inappropriate prescriptions. Aim This study investigated whether this centralised clinical pharmacy service is cost-effective. Method We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of three clinical rules of the CMA, targeting adverse drug events at three levels of severity: A) persistent opioid-induced constipation, B) ketorolac-induced gastrointestinal bleeding and C) drug-induced Torsade de Pointes. A decision tree was developed for each clinical rule. Both intervention costs as well as total costs associated with the occurrence of an adverse drug event were considered. The outcomes were reported in the form of an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, expressed as an incremental cost per adverse drug event avoided. Results Applying clinical rules to avoid persistent opioid-induced constipation and ketorolac-induced gastrointestinal bleeding were cost-saving. Implementation of a medication check to avoid drug-induced Torsade de Pointes costed €8,846 per Torsade de Pointes avoided. Conclusion Our study provides strong indications that the CMA is worth its investment for clinical rules targeting (very) common adverse drug events, that can be avoided with limited expenses. Further research is required to assess the full CMA. The proposed model may be useful to perform cost-effectiveness analyses of other centralised clinical pharmacy services targeting inappropriate prescribing, at the level of individual adverse drug events.

The impact of PIPs on mortality and readmissions in older adults: a retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

Our aim was to determine the impact of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIP), according to "Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions" criteria version 2 (STOPP-2), on mortality and hospital admissions.

METHODS

Monocentric retrospective cohort study. Patients over 65 years of age and who were consecutively discharged from internal medicine at a Spanish university hospital in 2016 were included. The mortality and hospital admissions of the cohort of patients were analysed using their electronic health records within two years from the time of discharge. Analysis was done based on the type and number of STOPP-2 criteria as well as taking into account the total number of medications. The subdistribution hazard ratios (SHR) were estimated through a competing proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

A total of 270 patients with a median age of 82 years (interquartile range/IQR 76-86 years), and 152 (56.3%) women were studied. It was found out that 28.3% of patients with PIP died compared to 17.2% of patients without it. Digoxin (B1 STOPP-2 criterion) with a subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR) 2.40 (95% CI 0.63-9.18), selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors/SSRIs (D4) with a SHR 1.76 (95% CI 0.52-5.96) and neuroleptic drugs (K2) with a SHR 2.01 (95% CI 0.82-4.95) non-significantly increased the risk of death. Dementia (SHR 5.45; 95% CI 2.76-10.78) was then the only statistically significant risk factor for death. Sixty percent of patients with a PIP had shown at least one hospital admission compared to 51% of patients without it. The number of drugs at discharge (SHR 1.03; 95% CI 1.01-1.05) and having 1-2 STOPP-2 criteria (SHR 1.17; 95% CI 1.02-1.35) significantly increased the risk of hospital admission.

CONCLUSION

The number of drugs at discharge and having any STOPP criteria significantly increased the risk of hospital admission in this cohort. PIP, only according to some specific STOPP-2 criteria involving digoxin, neuroleptics and SSRIs, might associate with a statistically non-significantly higher risk on mortality.

Implementation strategies in the context of medication reconciliation: a qualitative study

Background

Medication reconciliation (MedRec) is an important patient safety initiative that aims to prevent patient harm from medication errors. Yet, the implementation and sustainability of MedRec interventions have been challenging due to contextual barriers like the lack of interprofessional communication (among pharmacists, nurses, and providers) and limited organizational capacity. How to best implement MedRec interventions remains unclear. Guided by the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) taxonomy, we report the differing strategies hospital implementation teams used to implement an evidence-based MedRec Toolkit (the MARQUIS Toolkit).

Methods

A qualitative study was conducted with implementation teams and executive leaders of hospitals participating in the federally funded “Implementation of a Medication Reconciliation Toolkit to Improve Patient Safety” (known as MARQUIS2) research study. Data consisted of transcripts from web-based focus groups and individual interviews, as well as meeting minutes. Interview data were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis and the constant comparison technique.

Results

Data were collected from 16 hospitals using 2 focus groups, 3 group interviews, and 11 individual interviews, 10 sites’ meeting minutes, and an email interview of an executive. Major categories of implementation strategies predominantly mirrored the ERIC strategies of “Plan,” “Educate,” “Restructure,” and “Quality Management.” Participants rarely used the ERIC strategies of finance and attending to policy context. Two new non-ERIC categories of strategies emerged—“Integration” and “Professional roles and responsibilities.” Of the 73 specific strategies in the ERIC taxonomy, 32 were used to implement the MARQUIS Toolkit and 11 new, and non-ERIC strategies were identified (e.g., aligning with existing initiatives and professional roles and responsibilities).

Conclusions

Complex interventions like the MARQUIS MedRec Toolkit can benefit from the ERIC taxonomy, but adaptations and new strategies (and even categories) are necessary to fully capture the range of approaches to implementation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43058-021-00162-5.

Identifying Potential High-Risk Medication Errors Using Telepharmacy and a Web-Based Survey Tool

BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

Obtaining patient medication histories during emergency department (ED) admissions is an important step towards identifying potential errors that could otherwise remain in the patient's active medication list. This is a descriptive report of a standardized, electronic data collection tool created to document potential medication errors in patients receiving high-risk medications during ED admissions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Trained pharmacy technicians completed a survey following medication history collection using a secure web platform called REDCap®. Data collected included patient-specific information, the number and type of high-risk medications, and potential medication errors identified in the collection process.

RESULTS

During a pilot period of April 2019 to October 2020, 191 patient records were completed using the survey tool. Out of a total of 1088 medications recorded, 41% were considered high-risk medications. 42% of potential medication errors were classified as high-risk medication errors. Results from this survey tool demonstrated that 58% of high-risk medication orders could potentially result in a medication error that can be carried through patient admission and discharge.

DISCUSSION

Accurate medication history and transitions of care can significantly impact patient quality of life. The cost of addressing a medication related-adverse event is also substantial. Based on published reports, annual gross savings to a hospital is estimated to be $4532 per harmful error in 2020, after adjusting for inflation. This equated to approximately $1,182,852 in estimated savings for Ascension Texas in 18 months. Nationwide, preventing potential medication errors in an outpatient setting can save on average $3.5 billion per year.

CONCLUSION

This web-based survey tool has improved the quality and efficiency of potential error identification during medication history collection by pharmacy technicians. This information can be easily retrieved and aid in discussions regarding medication reconciliation at the leadership level and impact patient treatment outcomes by developing virtual processes that may result in fewer medication related events.

Improving medication safety practice at a community hospital: a focus on bar code medication administration scanning and pain reassessment

INTRODUCTION

In the USA over 30% of medication errors occur at the point of administration. Among non-surgical patients in US hospitals exposed to opioids, 0.6% experience a severe opioid-related adverse event. In September 2018, Sierra View Medical Center identified two areas of opportunity for quality improvement: bedside bar code medication administration (BCMA) and pain reassessments. At baseline (April 2018 to September 2018) only 81% of medications were scanned prior to administration with pain reassessments completed only 41% of the time 1 hour postopioid administration.

OBJECTIVE

To improve BCMA scanning rates (goal ≥95%) and pain reassessments within 1 hour postopioid administration (goal ≥90%).

METHODS

Implementation methods included data transparency, weekly dashboards, education and plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles informed by feedback from key stakeholders.

RESULTS

Following a series of PDSA cycle implementations, barcode medication administration (BCMA) scanning rates improved by 14% (from 81% to 95%) and pain reassessments improved by 50% (from 41% to 91%), sustained 17 months postproject implementation (October 2018 to February 2019). The number of adverse drug events (ADEs) related to administration errors decreased by 17% (estimated annual cost savings of $120 750-239 725 per year) and opioid-related ADEs decreased by 2.6% (estimated annual cost savings of $72 855-80 928 per year).

CONCLUSION

Adopting John Kotter's model for change, developing performance dashboards and sustaining engagement among stakeholders on a weekly basis improved bar code medication scanning rates and pain reassessment compliance. The stakeholders created momentum for change in both practice and culture resulting in improved patient safety with a favourable financial impact.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of health care professionals towards adverse drug reaction reporting in public sector primary health care facilities in a South African district

PURPOSE

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have an appreciable impact on patients' health. Little is known however about ADR reporting in ambulatory care environments especially in low- and middle-income countries. Consequently, our aim was to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among health care professionals (HCPs) towards ADR reporting in primary health care (PHC) facilities in South Africa. The findings will be used to direct future activities.

METHODS

Descriptive, cross-sectional design using quantitative methodology among 8 public sector community health care centres and 40 PHC clinics in the Tshwane Health District, Gauteng Province. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 218 HCPs, including all key groups.

RESULTS

A total of 200 responses were received (91.7%). Although an appropriate attitude towards ADR reporting existed, the actual frequency of ADR reporting was low (16.0%). Of the respondents, 60.5% did not know how to report, where to report or when to report an ADR and 51.5% said the level of their clinical knowledge made it difficult to decide whether or not an ADR had occurred. Over 97.5% stated they should be reporting ADRs with 89% feeling that ADR reporting is a professional obligation and over 70% that ADR reporting should be compulsory. When results were combined, the overall mean score in terms of positive or preferred practices for ADR reporting was 24.6% with pharmacists having the highest scores.

CONCLUSION

Under-reporting of ADRs with gaps in KAP was evident. There is a serious and urgent need for education and training of HCPs on ADR reporting in South Africa.

The national cost of adverse drug events resulting from inappropriate medication-related alert overrides in the United States

Objective

To estimate the national cost of ADEs resulting from inappropriate medication-related alert overrides in the U.S. inpatient setting.

Materials and Methods

We used three different regression models (Basic, Model 1, Model 2) with model inputs taken from the medical literature. A random sample of 40 990 adult inpatients at the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston with a total of 1 639 294 medication orders was taken. We extrapolated BWH medication orders using 2014 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data.

Results

Using three regression models, we estimated that 29.7 million adult inpatient discharges in 2014 resulted in between 1.02 billion and 1.07 billion medication orders, which in turn generated between 75.1 million and 78.8 million medication alerts, respectively. Taking the basic model (78.8 million), we estimated that 5.5 million medication-related alerts might have been inappropriately overridden, resulting in approximately 196 600 ADEs nationally. This was projected to cost between $871 million and $1.8 billion for treating preventable ADEs. We also estimated that clinicians and pharmacists would have jointly spent 175 000 hours responding to 78.8 million alerts with an opportunity cost of $16.9 million.

Discussion and Conclusion

These data suggest that further optimization of hospitals computerized provider order entry systems and their associated clinical decision support is needed and would result in substantial savings. We have erred on the side of caution in developing this range, taking two conservative cost estimates for a preventable ADE that did not include malpractice or litigation costs, or costs of injuries to patients.

Improving drug safety in hospitals: a retrospective study on the potential of adverse drug events coded in routine data

BACKGROUND

Adverse drug events (ADEs) that occur during hospitalization are an ongoing medical concern. Systematic strategies for ADE identification are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential to identify adverse drug events caused by medication errors (preventable ADEs, pADEs), and previously unknown adverse drug reactions (ADRs or non-preventable ADEs, npADEs) in inpatients by combining diagnosis codes in routine data with a chart review.

METHODS

Diagnoses of inpatients are routinely coded using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10). A total of 2326 cases were sampled from routine data of four hospitals using a set of ICD-10 German Modification ADE codes. Following a chart review, cases were evaluated in a standardized process with regard to drug relation and preventability of events.

RESULTS

By chart review, 1302 cases were classified as hospital-acquired and included in the evaluation. This yielded 1285 cases indicating an ADE. 96.8% of ADEs (1244 ADEs) were classified as known npADEs, only three cases as suspected previously unknown npADEs, one case as event after drug abuse. A total of 37 ADEs were classified as preventable (2.9% of all ADEs) by identifying a medication error as probable cause. The prevalence of pADEs varied considerably between included ADE codes, with hemorrhagic diathesis due to coumarins and localized skin eruptions showing the highest rates (8.7 and 9.1%, respectively). Most frequent medication errors were non-compliance to a known allergy, and improper dose.

CONCLUSIONS

When focusing on specific ADE codes, routine data can be used as markers for npADEs and medication errors, thus providing a meaningful complement to existing drug surveillance systems. However, the prevalence of medication errors is lower than in former studies on the frequency of pADEs.

Medication errors resulting in harm: Using chargemaster data to determine association with cost of hospitalization and length of stay

PURPOSE

Results of an analysis of the economic impact of adverse drug events (ADEs) resulting in patient harm on hospitalization costs and length of stay (LOS) are reported.

METHODS

In a retrospective single-site study, medication errors among patients admitted to an academic medical center during the period April 2014-May 2015 were identified using voluntary event reporting system data and diagnosis codes. Hospitalization cases involving documented ADEs resulting in harm, as defined on a widely used medication error classification index, were matched with control cases by admission period, diagnosis-related group, and patient age and sex. Total hospitalization costs and LOS in the study groups were analyzed using an independent 2-sample Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

Among 416 hospitalization cases evaluated for inclusion in the study, 242 were matched with 3,279 control cases for analysis. The primary drug classes implicated in the evaluated medication errors included chemotherapy agents (38%), corticosteroids (14%), and opioids (11%). Total hospitalization costs differed significantly (p = 0.044) between patients who experienced ADEs resulting in harm (median, $19,444; interquartile range [IQR], $13,481-$40,580) and those who did not (median, $17,173; IQR, $12,500-$27,125); the former group also had a significantly (p = 0.005) longer median LOS.

CONCLUSION

Chargemaster data for an academic medical center revealed that the median total hospitalization cost and LOS were significantly greater for hospitalizations during which a harm-causing medication error was recorded versus hospitalizations during which harm-causing medication errors were not recorded.

A Cost Minimization Analysis of Ready-to-Administer Prefilled Sterilized Syringes in a Dutch Hospital

PURPOSE

Preparation errors occur frequently during conventional preparation of parenteral medication in the clinical environment, causing patient harm and costs for the national health care system. The use of ready-to-administer prefilled sterilized syringes (PFSSs) produced by the hospital pharmacy can reduce preparation errors and the risk of bacteremia from contamination of the intravenous medication. The aim of this research is to compare the total costs of the conventional preparation method (CPM) with the PFSS method.

METHODS

In this cost-minimization analysis, costs related to the preparation of the medication, bacteremia from contamination, adverse drug events as a result of preparation medication errors, and wastage of syringes were taken into account. Annual costs in a general Dutch hospital were consistently calculated. Three scenarios were analyzed: (1) all preparations as CPM (864,246 administrations per year), (2) all preparations as PFSSs, and (3) 50% as PFSSs and 50% as CPM. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

FINDINGS

The first scenario found higher annual costs at €14.0 million (US$16.0 million) compared with the second scenario (€4.1 million, US$4.7 million). The most realistic situation (third scenario) found savings of €4.9 million (US$5.6 million) compared with the first scenario. Sensitivity analyses revealed that cost savings of PFSSs were strongly influenced by decreased risk of medication errors and contamination of intravenous medication. Extrapolating these results nationwide indicated potential savings of >€300 million (US$342 million) if only PFSSs were used.

IMPLICATIONS

The use of PFSSs prepared in the hospital pharmacy yielded cost savings compared with the CPM on the ward in the Dutch hospital.

Examining the effect of prescription sequence on developing adverse drug reactions: The case of renal failure in diabetic patients

OBJECTIVES

While the effect of medications in development of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) have been widely studied in the past, the literature lacks sufficient coverage in investigating whether the sequence in which [ADR-prone] drugs are prescribed (and administered) can increase the chances of ADR development. The present study investigates this potential effect by applying emergent sequential pattern mining techniques to electronic health records.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using longitudinal medication and diagnosis records from more than 377,000 diabetic patients, in this study, we assessed the possible effect of prescription sequences in developing acute renal failure as a prevalent ADR among this group of patients. Relying on emergent sequential pattern mining, two statistical case-control approaches were designed and employed for this purpose.

RESULTS

The results taken from the two employed approaches (i.e. 76.7% total agreement and 68.4% agreement on the existence of some significant effect) provide evidence for the potential effect of prescription sequence on ADRs development evidenced by the discovery that certain sequential patterns occurred more frequently in one group of patients than the other.

CONCLUSION

Given the significant effects shown by our data analyses, we believe that design and implementation of automated clinical decision support systems to constantly monitor patients' medication transactions (and the sequence in which they are administered) and make appropriate alerts to prevent certain possible ADRs, may decrease ADR occurrences and save lives and money.

Using pharmacy technicians and telepharmacy to obtain medication histories in the emergency department

OBJECTIVES

To determine if telepharmacy can be used to collect medication histories on patients admitted in the emergency department (ED) in a large health system.

PRACTICE DESCRIPTION

As part of an effort to address safety concerns, resource limitations, and a decline in medication history completions, a program was developed to use telepharmacy to conduct medication histories on patients admitted in the ED.

SETTING

The medication history program covers 5 large facilities. It is staffed by 6 full-time pharmacy technicians 7 days a week and is overseen by a pharmacist.

INNOVATION

Medication histories are conducted with the use of mobile carts enhanced with videoconferencing equipment allowing technicians to operate from a remote central location. The program allows the technicians to observe multiple EDs at one time, interview patients through videoconferencing, and document completed medication histories in the electronic medical record (EMR). The technicians also transcribe preoperation (pre-op) medication lists for patients being admitted for surgeries.

EVALUATION

Medication history completion rates and barriers were assessed. In addition, potential medication errors, medication history accuracy rates for nursing and pharmacy technicians, and a cost analysis of preventable ADEs were explored.

RESULTS

The program, on average, conducts medication histories on 56% to 79% of patients admitted through the ED during hours of operation. In fiscal year 2018, the technicians entered 24,980 medication histories and pre-op lists. A cross-sectional analysis of data collected from December 2016 to March 2017, including 124 patients, revealed 320 potential medication errors among a total of 382 high-risk medications.

CONCLUSION

Based on the current performance and continued expansion of this novel strategy, use of telepharmacy to obtain medication histories in the ED has led to resource optimization for the remote delivery of a pharmacy service.

International Group for Reducing Inappropriate Medication Use & Polypharmacy (IGRIMUP): Position Statement and 10 Recommendations for Action

Globally, the number of drug prescriptions is increasing causing more adverse drug events, which is now a significant cause of mortality, morbidity, and disability that has reached epidemic proportions. The risk of adverse drug events is correlated to very old age, multiple co-morbidities, dementia, frailty, and limited life expectancy, with the major contributor being polypharmacy. Each characteristic alters the risk-benefit balance of medications, typically reducing anticipated benefits and amplifying risk. Current clinical guidelines are based on evidence proven in younger/healthier adult populations using a single disease model and their application to older adults with multimorbidity, in whom testing has not been conducted, yields a different risk-benefit prospect and makes inappropriate medication use and polypharmacy inevitable. Applying inappropriate clinical practice guidelines to older adults is antithetical to good healthcare, is likely to increase health inequity, and is associated with substantial negative clinical, economic, and social implications for health systems. The casualties are on the scale of a war or epidemic, yet are usually invisible in measures of healthcare quality and formal recommendations. Radical and rapid action is required to achieve a better quality of life for older populations and to remain true to the principles of medical professionalism and evidence-based medicine that place patients' interests and autonomy at the fore. This first International Group for Reducing Inappropriate Medication Use & Polypharmacy position statement briefly details the causes, consequences, and extent of inappropriate medication use and polypharmacy. This article outlines current strategies to reduce inappropriate medication use, provides evidence for their effect, and then proposes recommendations for moving forward with 10 recommendations for action and 12 recommendations for research. We conclude that an urgent integrated effort to reduce inappropriate medication use and polypharmacy should be a leading global target of the highest priority. The cornerstone of this position statement from the International Group for Reducing Inappropriate Medication Use & Polypharmacy is the understanding that without evidence of definite relevant benefit, when it comes to prescribing, for many older patients 'less is more'. This approach differs from most other current recommendations and guidance in medical care, as the focus is on what, when, and how to stop, rather than on when to start medications/interventions. Disrupting the framework that indiscriminately applies standard guidelines to older adults requires a new approach that better serves patients with multimorbidity. This transition requires a shift in medical education, research, and diagnostic frameworks, and re-examination of the measures used as quality indicators. In achieving this objective, we promote a return to some of the original concepts of evidence-based medicine: which considers scientific data (where it exists), clinical judgment, patient/family preference, and context. A shift is needed: from the current model that focuses on single conditions to one that simultaneously considers multiple conditions and patient priorities. This approach reframes the clinician's role as a professional providing care, rather than a disease technician.

Medication Histories in Critically Ill Patients Completed by Pharmacy Personnel

BACKGROUND

Although critically ill adults often have extended hospital lengths of stay and are at high risk of having medication-related adverse events, the value of medication histories in these patients remains underreported.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the feasibility of performing medication histories in critically ill adults and to establish the frequency of and characterize identified discrepancies.

METHODS

This prospective study included patients admitted to 4 intensive care units (ICUs) in a large academic medical center and was conducted in 2 phases. In phase 1, medication histories were conducted over a 5-week period by clinical pharmacists to assess feasibility. In phase 2, medication histories were conducted over a 3-week period by a pharmacy technician. Medication discrepancies, defined as any difference between the documented and pharmacy personnel-identified home medication list, were aggregated in both phases and adjudicated for severity.

RESULTS

In phase 1, 127 medication histories were completed (42.3% of admitted patients). Impaired cognition was the most common barrier encountered; however, 76% of patients were able to have a history completed if an attempt was made. In phase 2, a medication history was completed for 176 patients (58.9% of admitted patients). In aggregate, 1155 discrepancies were identified, with 78.2% of patients having a discrepancy. The median number of discrepancies per patient was 3 (interquartile range = 1-5); 11 life-threatening, 101 serious, and 326 significant discrepancies were identified. Conclusion and Relevance: A pharmacy personnel-based medication history program in the ICU is feasible and assists in the discovery of medication discrepancies with the potential for patient harm.

Antibiotic allergy

Antibiotics are the commonest cause of life-threatening immune-mediated drug reactions that are considered off-target, including anaphylaxis, and organ-specific and severe cutaneous adverse reactions. However, many antibiotic reactions documented as allergies were unknown or not remembered by the patient, cutaneous reactions unrelated to drug hypersensitivity, drug-infection interactions, or drug intolerances. Although such reactions pose negligible risk to patients, they currently represent a global threat to public health. Antibiotic allergy labels result in displacement of first-line therapies for antibiotic prophylaxis and treatment. A penicillin allergy label, in particular, is associated with increased use of broad-spectrum and non-β-lactam antibiotics, which results in increased adverse events and antibiotic resistance. Most patients labelled as allergic to penicillins are not allergic when appropriately stratified for risk, tested, and re-challenged. Given the public health importance of penicillin allergy, this Review provides a global update on antibiotic allergy epidemiology, classification, mechanisms, and management.

Impact of Definitive Drug-Drug Interaction Testing on Medication Management and Patient Care

Background and Objective

Aegis Sciences Corporation developed a test (InterACT Rx^™) that objectively and definitively identifies substances known to interact with drug–drug interaction-prone medications commonly prescribed in the treatment of chronic pain and behavioral health disorders. The objective of this study was to assess the severity of identified drug–drug interactions, the reduction in the frequency and severity of identified drug–drug interactions, and the impact of the test on healthcare utilization.

Methods

Patients with chronic pain, behavioral health disorders, or both who had one or more drug–drug interaction tests and one or more drug–drug interactions identified in the study period were included. Drug–drug interaction test results described the number and severity of interactions and detected substances involved in drug–drug interactions. Patients’ electronic medical records were obtained to analyze outpatient visits and prescription medications. The cost of outpatient visits was based on the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Outcomes were compared between the pre- and post-study index periods to determine the impact of the drug–drug interaction test on patient care.

Results

A total of 262 patients were included. The majority of drug–drug interactions detected (77.9%) at index were of moderate severity. The number of monthly all-cause and pain-related outpatient visits was reduced in the post-index period compared with the pre-index period (0.74–0.54 and 0.69–0.49, respectively). Associated costs were reduced from US$64.92 to US$51.20, and from US$62.42 to US$47.62, (p < 0.0001 for both) for all-cause and pain-related outpatient visits, respectively. Follow-up drug–drug interaction testing for 43 patients revealed that previously reported drug–drug interactions at the index test were no longer identified in the subsequent test for 39.5% of patients.

Conclusions

Employing a definitive test to detect substances whose interactions may cause adverse drug events can enhance a provider’s insights, drive clinical decision making, and improve patient outcomes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s40801-018-0143-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Potential Direct Costs of Adverse Drug Events and Possible Cost Savings Achievable by their Prevention in Tuscany, Italy: A Model-Based Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Adverse drug events (ADEs) may represent an important item of expenditure for healthcare systems and their prevention could be associated with a relevant cost saving.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to simulate the annual economic burden for ADEs in Tuscany (Italy) and the potential cost savings related to avoidable ADEs.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) and Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) statements, on observational studies published from 2006 to 2016 in MEDLINE and EMBASE, focusing on direct costs of ADEs in the inpatient setting from high-income countries. The mean probability of preventable ADEs was estimated over the included studies. The mean ADE cost was calculated by means of Monte Carlo simulation. We then extrapolated the spontaneous reports of ADEs in Tuscany, Italy in 2016 from the Italian National Pharmacovigilance Network (Rete Nazionale di Farmacovigilanza), and we assumed the same costs and preventability probability for these as obtained in the systematic review. Finally, we simulated the possible costs of ADEs and preventable ADEs in Tuscany. Three sensitivity analyses were also performed to test the robustness of the results.

RESULTS

Of 11,936 articles initially selected, 12 observational studies were included. The estimated mean [± standard deviation (SD)] ADE cost was €2471.46 (± €1214.13). The mean (± SD) probability of preventable ADEs was 45% (± 21). The Tuscan expenditure for ADEs was €3,406,280.63 per million inhabitants (95% confidence interval (CI) 1,732,910.44-5,079,664.61) and the potential cost saving was €1,532,760.25 per million inhabitants (95% CI 779,776.1-2,285,750.60). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results.

CONCLUSIONS

The present simulation showed that ADEs could have a relevant economic impact on the Tuscan healthcare system. In this setting, the prevention of ADEs would result in important cost savings. These results could be likely extended to other healthcare systems.

Rethinking the outpatient medication list: increasing patient activation and education while architecting for centralization and improved medication reconciliation

Objective

Identify barriers impacting the time consuming and error fraught process of medication reconciliation. Design and implement an electronic medication management system where patient and trusted healthcare proxies can participate in establishing and maintaining an inclusive and up-to-date list of medications.

Methods

A patient-facing electronic medication manager was deployed within an existing research project focused on elder care management funded by the AHRQ, InfoSAGE, allowing patients and patients' proxies the ability to build and maintain an accurate and up-to-date medication list. Free and open-source tools available from the U.S. government were used to embed the tenets of centralization, interoperability, data federation, and patient activation into the design.

Results

Using patient-centered design and free, open-source tools, we implemented a web and mobile enabled patient-facing medication manager for complex medication management.

Conclusions

Patient and caregiver participation are essential to improve medication safety. Our medication manager is an early step towards a patient-facing medication manager that has been designed with data federation and interoperability in mind.

Improving admission medication reconciliation with pharmacists or pharmacy technicians in the emergency department: a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Admission medication history (AMH) errors frequently cause medication order errors and patient harm.

OBJECTIVE

To quantify AMH error reduction achieved when pharmacy staff obtain AMHs before admission medication orders (AMO) are placed.

METHODS

This was a three-arm randomised controlled trial of 306 inpatients. In one intervention arm, pharmacists, and in the second intervention arm, pharmacy technicians, obtained initial AMHs prior to admission. They obtained and reconciled medication information from multiple sources. All arms, including the control arm, received usual AMH care, which included variation in several common processes. The primary outcome was severity-weighted mean AMH error score. To detect AMH errors, all patients received reference standard AMHs, which were compared with intervention and control group AMHs. AMH errors and resultant AMO errors were independently identified and rated by ≥2 investigators as significant, serious or life threatening. Each error was assigned 1, 4 or 9 points, respectively, to calculate severity-weighted AMH and AMO error scores for each patient.

RESULTS

Patient characteristics were similar across arms (mean±SD age 72±16 years, number of medications 15±7). Analysis was limited to 278 patients (91%) with reference standard AMHs. Mean±SD AMH errors per patient in the usual care, pharmacist and technician arms were 8.0±5.6, 1.4±1.9 and 1.5±2.1, respectively (p<0.0001). Mean±SD severity-weighted AMH error scores were 23.0±16.1, 4.1±6.8 and 4.1±7.0 per patient, respectively (p<0.0001). These AMH errors led to a mean±SD of 3.2±2.9, 0.6±1.1 and 0.6±1.1 AMO errors per patient, and mean severity-weighted AMO error scores of 6.9±7.2, 1.5±2.9 and 1.2±2.5 per patient, respectively (both p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pharmacists and technicians reduced AMH errors and resultant AMO errors by over 80%. Future research should examine other sites and patient-centred outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT02026453.

The economic burden of preventable adverse drug reactions: a systematic review of observational studies

INTRODUCTION

Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. They are associated with healthcare costs due to hospital admissions or prolonged length of stay, as well as additional interventions. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of observational studies to evaluate the economic impact of preventable ADRs.

AREAS COVERED

Published observational research investigating the cost of preventable ADRs in Western countries (limited to the USA and European countries).

EXPERT OPINION

Several reviews have been carried out in the field of the ADR epidemiology but fewer reviews have investigated the economic impact of ADRs, and at the time of writing, none has focused on preventable ADRs. The reason why future research should focus on the costs of preventable ADRs is that both the costs and the negative clinical outcomes are preventable, and as such, are a key point of public health policy action. Nevertheless, the present review highlights an important and sobering limitation of published research on the cost of preventable ADRs, of which the major limitation is the heterogeneity in methods and in reporting which limit what can be known through the summarizing work of a systematic review.

Anti-infective Acquisition Costs for a Stewardship Program: Getting to the Bottom Line

Background

Though antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are in place for patient safety, financial justification is often required. In 2016, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommended that anti-infective costs be measured by patient-level administration data normalized for patient census. Few publications use this methodology. Here, we aim to compare 3 methods of drug cost analysis during 3 phases of an ASP as an example of this recommendation's implementation.

Methods

At a freestanding pediatric hospital, we retrospectively assessed anti-infective cost using pharmacy purchasing data, patient-level administration data from the electronic medical record (EMR), and patient-level administration data from the Pediatric Hospital Information Systems (PHIS) database, all normalized to patient census. Costs pre-ASP, while planning the ASP, and post-ASP were then compared for each method.

Results

Significant differences in costs between the methods were observed. Pharmacy purchasing endorsed minimal financial benefit (decrease planning to post-ASP of $590 dollars per 1000 patient-days), while the EMR and PHIS data endorsed a decrease of $12785 and $21380 per 1000 patient-days, respectively, for a total yearly cost savings of $54656 for pharmacy purchasing data, $1184336 for EMR data, and $2117522 for PHIS data.

Conclusions

Pharmacy purchasing data underestimated cost savings compared with EMR and PHIS data, while EMR and PHIS data were comparable in magnitude of savings. At Children's Hospital Colorado, savings justified the full cost of the ASP. EMR patient-level administration data, normalized to patient census, offers a readily available and standardized measure of anti-infective costs over time.

Impact of commercial computerized provider order entry (CPOE) and clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) on medication errors, length of stay, and mortality in intensive care units: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of commercial computerized provider order entry (CPOE) and clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) on medication errors, length of stay (LOS), and mortality in intensive care units (ICUs).

Methods

We searched for English-language literature published between January 2000 and January 2016 using Medline, Embase, and CINAHL. Titles and abstracts of 586 unique citations were screened. Studies were included if they: (1) reported results for an ICU population; (2) evaluated the impact of CPOE or the addition of CDSSs to an existing CPOE system; (3) reported quantitative data on medication errors, ICU LOS, hospital LOS, ICU mortality, and/or hospital mortality; and (4) used a randomized controlled trial or quasi-experimental study design.

Results

Twenty studies met our inclusion criteria. The transition from paper-based ordering to commercial CPOE systems in ICUs was associated with an 85% reduction in medication prescribing error rates and a 12% reduction in ICU mortality rates. Overall meta-analyses of LOS and hospital mortality did not demonstrate a significant change.

Discussion and Conclusion

Critical care settings, both adult and pediatric, involve unique complexities, making them vulnerable to medication errors and adverse patient outcomes. The currently limited evidence base requires research that has sufficient statistical power to identify the true effect of CPOE implementation. There is also a critical need to understand the nature of errors arising post-CPOE and how the addition of CDSSs can be used to provide greater benefit to delivering safe and effective patient care.

Categorization and association analysis of risk factors for adverse drug events

PURPOSE

Adverse drug events (ADE) are among the leading causes of morbidity and hospitalization. This review analyzes risk factors for ADE, particularly their categorizations and association patterns, the prevalence, severity, and preventability of ADE, and method characteristics of reviewed studies.

METHODS

Literature search was conducted via PubMed, Science Direct, CINAHL, and MEDLINE. A review was conducted of research articles that reported original data about specific risk factors for ADE since 2000. Data analyses were performed using Excel and R.

RESULTS

We summarized 211 risk factors for ADE, and grouped them into five main categories: patient-, disease-, medication-, health service-, and genetics-related. Among them, medication- and disease-related risk factors were most frequently studied. We further classified risk factors within each main category into subtypes. Among them, polypharmacy, age, gender, central nervous system agents, comorbidity, service utilization, inappropriate use/change use of drugs, cardiovascular agents, and anti-infectives were most studied subtypes. An association analysis of risk factors uncovered many interesting patterns. The median prevalence, preventability, and severity rate of reported ADE was 19.5% (0.29%~86.2%), 36.2% (2.63%~91%), and 16% (0.01%~47.4%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This review introduced new categories and subtypes of risk factors for ADE. The broad and in-depth coverage of risk factors and their association patterns elucidate the complexity of risk factor analysis. Managing risk factors for ADE is crucial for improving patient safety, particularly for the elderly, comorbid, and polypharmacy patients. Some under-explored risk factors such as genetics, mental health and wellness, education, lifestyle, and physical environment invite future research.

Comparing Methods for Estimating Direct Costs of Adverse Drug Events

OBJECTIVES

To estimate how direct health care costs resulting from adverse drug events (ADEs) and cost distribution are affected by methodological decisions regarding identification of ADEs, assigning relevant resource use to ADEs, and estimating costs for the assigned resources.

METHODS

ADEs were identified from medical records and diagnostic codes for a random sample of 4970 Swedish adults during a 3-month study period in 2008 and were assessed for causality. Results were compared for five cost evaluation methods, including different methods for identifying ADEs, assigning resource use to ADEs, and for estimating costs for the assigned resources (resource use method, proportion of registered cost method, unit cost method, diagnostic code method, and main diagnosis method). Different levels of causality for ADEs and ADEs' contribution to health care resource use were considered.

RESULTS

Using the five methods, the maximum estimated overall direct health care costs resulting from ADEs ranged from Sk10,000 (Sk = Swedish krona; ~€1,500 in 2016 values) using the diagnostic code method to more than Sk3,000,000 (~€414,000) using the unit cost method in our study population. The most conservative definitions for ADEs' contribution to health care resource use and the causality of ADEs resulted in average costs per patient ranging from Sk0 using the diagnostic code method to Sk4066 (~€500) using the unit cost method.

CONCLUSIONS

The estimated costs resulting from ADEs varied considerably depending on the methodological choices. The results indicate that costs for ADEs need to be identified through medical record review and by using detailed unit cost data.

Nursing perception of risk in common nursing practice situations

As health care organizations seek to be highly reliable, systems that include layers of redundancy have been created to protect patients from harm. Many of these layers of protection are dependent on nurses making a decision to follow or adhere to the human aspects of the process. Because these decisions begin with a perception and identification of risk, understanding what nurses perceive to be a risk to patients is an essential part of designing safer health care systems. The purposes of this qualitative study were to (1) describe what nurses perceive as risky to patients in common nursing practice situations, (2) describe the effects of the perceptions of risk on clinical decision making and behavior, and (3) identify what factors nurses perceive as increasing or decreasing risk.

Adverse drug events in German hospital routine data: A validation of International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnostic codes

OBJECTIVE

Adverse drug events (ADEs) during hospital stays are a significant problem of healthcare systems. Established monitoring systems lack completeness or are cost intensive. Routinely assigned International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) codes could complement existing systems for ADE identification. To analyze the potential of using routine data for ADE detection, the validity of a set of ICD codes was determined focusing on hospital-acquired events.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study utilized routine data from four German hospitals covering the years 2014 and 2015. A set of ICD, 10th Revision, German Modification (ICD-10-GM) diagnoses coded most frequently in the routine data and identified as codes indicating ADEs was analyzed. Data from psychiatric and psychotherapeutic departments were excluded. Retrospective chart review was performed to calculate positive predictive values (PPV) and sensitivity.

RESULTS

Of 807 reviewed ADE codes, 91.2% (95%-confidence interval: 89.0, 93.1) were identified as disease in the medical records and 65.1% (61.7, 68.3) were confirmed as ADE. For code groups being predominantly hospital-acquired, 78.5% (73.7, 82.9) were confirmed as ADE, ranging from 68.5% to 94.4% dependent on the ICD code. However, sensitivity of inpatient ADEs was relatively low. 49.7% (45.2, 54.2) of 495 identified hospital-acquired ADEs were coded as disease in the routine data, from which a subgroup of 12.1% (9.4, 15.3) was coded as drug-associated disease.

CONCLUSIONS

ICD codes from routine data can provide an important contribution to the development and improvement of ADE monitoring systems. Documentation quality is crucial to further increase the PPV, and actions against under-reporting of ADEs in routine data need to be taken.

The Cost of Penicillin Allergy Evaluation

BACKGROUND

Unverified penicillin allergy leads to adverse downstream clinical and economic sequelae. Penicillin allergy evaluation can be used to identify true, IgE-mediated allergy.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the cost of penicillin allergy evaluation using time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC).

METHODS

We implemented TDABC throughout the care pathway for 30 outpatients presenting for penicillin allergy evaluation. The base-case evaluation included penicillin skin testing and a 1-step amoxicillin drug challenge, performed by an allergist. We varied assumptions about the provider type, clinical setting, procedure type, and personnel timing.

RESULTS

The base-case penicillin allergy evaluation costs $220 in 2016 US dollars: $98 for personnel, $119 for consumables, and $3 for space. In sensitivity analyses, lower cost estimates were achieved when only a drug challenge was performed (ie, no skin test, $84) and a nurse practitioner provider was used ($170). Adjusting for the probability of anaphylaxis did not result in a changed estimate ($220); although other analyses led to modest changes in the TDABC estimate ($214-$246), higher estimates were identified with changing to a low-demand practice setting ($268), a 50% increase in personnel times ($269), and including clinician documentation time ($288). In a least/most costly scenario analyses, the lowest TDABC estimate was $40 and the highest was $537.

CONCLUSIONS

Using TDABC, penicillin allergy evaluation costs $220; even with varied assumptions adjusting for operational challenges, clinical setting, and expanded testing, penicillin allergy evaluation still costs only about $540. This modest investment may be offset for patients treated with costly alternative antibiotics that also may result in adverse consequences.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of an Automated Medication System Implemented in a Danish Hospital Setting

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an automated medication system (AMS) implemented in a Danish hospital setting.

METHODS

An economic evaluation was performed alongside a controlled before-and-after effectiveness study with one control ward and one intervention ward. The primary outcome measure was the number of errors in the medication administration process observed prospectively before and after implementation. To determine the difference in proportion of errors after implementation of the AMS, logistic regression was applied with the presence of error(s) as the dependent variable. Time, group, and interaction between time and group were the independent variables. The cost analysis used the hospital perspective with a short-term incremental costing approach. The total 6-month costs with and without the AMS were calculated as well as the incremental costs. The number of avoided administration errors was related to the incremental costs to obtain the cost-effectiveness ratio expressed as the cost per avoided administration error.

RESULTS

The AMS resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the proportion of errors in the intervention ward compared with the control ward. The cost analysis showed that the AMS increased the ward's 6-month cost by €16,843. The cost-effectiveness ratio was estimated at €2.01 per avoided administration error, €2.91 per avoided procedural error, and €19.38 per avoided clinical error.

CONCLUSIONS

The AMS was effective in reducing errors in the medication administration process at a higher overall cost. The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that the AMS was associated with affordable cost-effectiveness rates.

Economic impact of medication error: a systematic review

PURPOSE

Medication error is a significant source of morbidity and mortality among patients. Clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence are required for the implementation of quality of care interventions. Reduction of error-related cost is a key potential benefit of interventions addressing medication error. The aim of this review was to describe and quantify the economic burden associated with medication error.

METHODS

PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, CINAHL, EconLit, ABI/INFORM, Business Source Complete were searched. Studies published 2004-2016 assessing the economic impact of medication error were included. Cost values were expressed in Euro 2015. A narrative synthesis was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 4572 articles were identified from database searching, and 16 were included in the review. One study met all applicable quality criteria. Fifteen studies expressed economic impact in monetary terms. Mean cost per error per study ranged from €2.58 to €111 727.08. Healthcare costs were used to measure economic impact in 15 of the included studies with one study measuring litigation costs. Four studies included costs incurred in primary care with the remaining 12 measuring hospital costs. Five studies looked at general medication error in a general population with 11 studies reporting the economic impact of an individual type of medication error or error within a specific patient population.

CONCLUSIONS

Considerable variability existed between studies in terms of financial cost, patients, settings and errors included. Many were of poor quality. Assessment of economic impact was conducted predominantly in the hospital setting with little assessment of primary care impact. Limited parameters were used to establish economic impact. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The economic burden of nurse-sensitive adverse events in 22 medical-surgical units: retrospective and matching analysis

AIMS

The aim of this study was to assess the economic burden of nurse-sensitive adverse events in 22 acute-care units in Quebec by estimating excess hospital-related costs and calculating resulting additional hospital days.

BACKGROUND

Recent changes in the worldwide economic and financial contexts have made the cost of patient safety a topical issue. Yet, our knowledge about the economic burden of safety of nursing care is quite limited in Canada in general and Quebec in particular.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of charts of 2699 patients hospitalized between July 2008 - August 2009 for at least 2 days of 30-day periods in 22 medical-surgical units in 11 hospitals in Quebec.

METHODS

Data were collected from September 2009 to August 2010. Nurse-sensitive adverse events analysed were pressure ulcers, falls, medication administration errors, pneumonia and urinary tract infections. Descriptive statistics identified numbers of cases for each nurse-sensitive adverse event. A literature analysis was used to estimate excess median hospital-related costs of treatments with these nurse-sensitive adverse events. Costs were calculated in 2014 Canadian dollars. Additional hospital days were estimated by comparing lengths of stay of patients with nurse-sensitive adverse events with those of similar patients without nurse-sensitive adverse events.

RESULTS

This study found that five adverse events considered nurse-sensitive caused nearly 1300 additional hospital days for 166 patients and generated more than Canadian dollars 600,000 in excess treatment costs.

CONCLUSION

The results present the financial consequences of the nurse-sensitive adverse events. Government should invest in prevention and in improvements to care quality and patient safety. Managers need to strengthen safety processes in their facilities and nurses should take greater precautions.

Direct and indirect costs for adverse drug events identified in medical records across care levels, and their distribution among payers

BACKGROUND

Adverse drug events (ADEs) cause considerable costs in hospitals. However, little is known about costs caused by ADEs outside hospitals, effects on productivity, and how the costs are distributed among payers.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the direct and indirect costs caused by ADEs, and their distribution among payers. Furthermore, to describe the distribution of patient out-of-pocket costs and lost productivity caused by ADEs according to socio-economic characteristics.

METHOD

In a random sample of 5025 adults in a Swedish county, prevalence-based costs for ADEs were calculated. Two different methods were used: 1) based on resource use judged to be caused by ADEs, and 2) as costs attributable to ADEs by comparing costs among individuals with ADEs to costs among matched controls. Payers of costs caused by ADEs were identified in medical records among those with ADEs (n = 596), and costs caused to individual patients were described by socio-economic characteristics.

RESULTS

Costs for resource use caused by ADEs were €505 per patient with ADEs (95% confidence interval €345-665), of which 38% were indirect costs. Compared to matched controls, the costs attributable to ADEs were €1631, of which €410 were indirect costs. The local health authorities paid 58% of the costs caused by ADEs. Women had higher productivity loss than men (€426 vs. €109, p = 0.018). Out-of-pocket costs displaced a larger proportion of the disposable income among low-income earners than higher income earners (0.7% vs. 0.2%-0.3%).

CONCLUSION

We used two methods to identify costs for ADEs, both identifying indirect costs as an important component of the overall costs for ADEs. Although the largest payers of costs caused by ADEs were the local health authorities responsible for direct costs, employers and patients costs for lost productivity contributed substantially. Our results indicate inequalities in costs caused by ADEs, by sex and income.

Potentially Inappropriate Medications by Beers Criteria in Older Outpatients: Prevalence and Risk Factors

BACKGROUND

Prescription of inappropriate medicine to elderly patients is a major public health care concern. The Beers criteria have been commonly employed as a screening tool to identify the use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). The present study investigated the prevalence of PIM use according to the Beers criteria as well as factors related to PIM use.

METHODS

Data obtained from a retrospective survey included 25,810 outpatients aged ≥65 years from a university medical center in Seoul, Korea. PIMs were defined using the Beers criteria. Factors associated with PIM use were evaluated using multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of all participants, 7,132 (27.6%) were prescribed at least one PIM. The most commonly prescribed PIMs were alprazolam (11.2%), clonazepam (10.8%), zolpidem (8.7%), quetiapine (8.4%), and hydroxyzine (5.4%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, having five or more prescription medicines (odds ratio [OR], 11.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.38 to 13.66) and five or more prescribing doctors (OR, 4.40; 95% CI, 3.59 to 5.39) were strongly associated with PIM. In a likelihood ratio test for trend, an increasing number of medications and prescribing doctors were both significantly associated with PIM.

CONCLUSION

At a university medical center, the number of medications and the number of prescribing doctors was associated with PIM in older outpatients.

The Importance of Patient-Specific Factors for Hepatic Drug Response and Toxicity

Responses to drugs and pharmacological treatments differ considerably between individuals. Importantly, only 50%-75% of patients have been shown to react adequately to pharmacological interventions, whereas the others experience either a lack of efficacy or suffer from adverse events. The liver is of central importance in the metabolism of most drugs. Because of this exposed status, hepatotoxicity is amongst the most common adverse drug reactions and hepatic liabilities are the most prevalent reason for the termination of development programs of novel drug candidates. In recent years, more and more factors were unveiled that shape hepatic drug responses and thus underlie the observed inter-individual variability. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of different principle mechanisms of drug hepatotoxicity and illustrate how patient-specific factors, such as genetic, physiological and environmental factors, can shape drug responses. Furthermore, we highlight other parameters, such as concomitantly prescribed medications or liver diseases and how they modulate drug toxicity, pharmacokinetics and dynamics. Finally, we discuss recent progress in the field of in vitro toxicity models and evaluate their utility in reflecting patient-specific factors to study inter-individual differences in drug response and toxicity, as this understanding is necessary to pave the way for a patient-adjusted medicine.

Patient experiences with pharmacogenetic testing in a primary care setting

AIM

To investigate patient experiences with pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing.

METHODS

Patients were offered PGx testing through a study on pharmacist-assisted delivery of PGx testing and invited to complete pre- and post-testing surveys about their experience.

RESULTS

Of 63 patients tested, 17 completed the baseline survey (27%). Interest in testing was mostly impacted by desire to inform selection of best treatment (n = 13). Seven of 12 patients that completed the follow-up survey indicated that their provider discussed the test result with them. Five patients understood their test result very or somewhat well. All would be likely to have PGx testing again.

CONCLUSION

Patients perceived PGx testing to be useful, though more effort may be needed to improve patient-provider communication of test results.

A systematic review of observational studies evaluating costs of adverse drug reactions

Introduction

The growing evidence of the increased frequency and severity of adverse drug events (ADEs), besides the negative impact on patient’s health status, indicates that costs due to ADEs may be steadily rising. Observational studies are an important tool in pharmacovigilance. Despite these studies being more susceptible to bias than experimental designs, they are more competent in assessing ADEs and their associated costs.

Objective

To identify and characterize the best available evidence on ADE-associated costs.

Methods

MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched from 1995 to 2015. Observational studies were included. The methodological quality of selected studies was assessed by Cochrane Collaboration tool for experimental and observational studies. Studies were classified according to the setting analyzed in “ambulatory”, “hospital”, or both. Costs were classified as “direct” and “indirect”. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The total incremental cost per patient with ADE was estimated.

Results

Twenty-nine (94%) longitudinal observational studies and two (7%) cross-sectional studies were included. Twenty-three (74%) studies were assessed with the highest methodological quality score. The studies were mainly conducted in the US (61%). Twenty (65%) studies evaluated any therapeutic group. Twenty (65%) studies estimated costs of ADEs leading to or prolonging hospitalization. The “direct costs” were evaluated in all studies, whereas only two (7%) also estimated the “indirect costs”. The “direct costs” in ambulatory ranged from €702.21 to €40,273.08, and the in hospital from €943.40 to €7,192.36.

Discussion

Methodological heterogeneities were identified among the included studies, such as design, type of ADEs, suspected drugs, and type and structure of costs. Despite such discrepancies, the financial burden associated with ADE costs was found to be high. In the light of the present findings, validated methods to measure ADE-associated costs need future research efforts.

[Knowledge of nurses about medication doses at pediatric urgency departament]

Errors in drug administration are the second cause of errors in hospitalized patients. Children are a high risk group. Besides, pressure in care interventions at emergency department leads to increase incidence errors.

AIM

Determining nurses' knowledge about the most common drug doses at pediatric urgency department.

METHODS

Descriptive transversal study. We collected data from nurses of 14 pediatric emergency departments of Madrid. With an "ad hoc" questionnaire we collected the following data during five days in January of 2014: demographic, knowledge of responsibility in administration and doses of drugs. Global descriptive analysis was made and it was stratified by hospital and work experience.

RESULTS

The answer rate was 114 (34.9%). Only 80 (70.8%) of nurses confirm doses before their administration; 20 (18.6%) think that a wrong prescription that they administer is not their responsibility. There is a high knowledge in the group with more than five years of work experience, except for sedative-analgesic drugs (p<0.05). The average score obtained was 3.8 of 10 (1.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses' knowledge about drug doses is low.

Potentially inappropriate prescriptions in patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital

Background Very little is known about the general appropriateness of prescribing for psychiatric patients. Aims To identify prevalence and types of potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) of psychotropic and somatic medications, to assess the severity of potential clinical consequences and to identify possible predictive factors of PIP in a sample of adult psychiatric in-patients. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional design using medication reviews by clinical pharmacologists to identify PIP during a 3-month period. The setting was in-patient units in a psychiatric department of a Danish university hospital during a 3-month period (September 2013-November 2013). Patients medication lists (n = 207) were reviewed at the time of admission and all identified PIPs were assessed for potential consequences by clinical pharmacologists. Results There were 349 PIP identified in 1291 prescriptions. The proportion of patients found to have at least one PIP was 123/207 (59%) and the proportions of patients with at least one PIP assessed to be potentially serious or fatal was 69/207 (33%) and 24/207 (12%), respectively. Interactions between drugs 125/207 (36%) and too high doses of drugs 56/207 (16%) were the most frequent PIP. Predictive factors for PIP were polypharmacy (>5 prescriptions) and having one or more somatic diagnoses. Conclusion PIP is common in psychiatric patients and potentially fatal. Particularly polypharmacy (>5 prescriptions) and concomitant somatic illness were associated with the probability of PIP. Improving the quality of prescribing might benefit from an interprofessional approach and thus better training of physicians and nurses is needed in order to minimize PIP.