Inadvertent Methylergonovine Administration to a Neonate

Review of FDA Amendments Act Section 921 Experience in Posting Data-mining Results from the FAERS Database

PURPOSE

Title IX, § 921 of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Amendments Act of 2007 requires the FDA to mine data on a regular basis, using its adverse events database, the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System, to identify potential signals of serious risks/new safety information. This review of the FDA's quarterly web-posted results is the first to document the contributions of the program to maintaining the continued safe use of approved pharmaceutical drugs/biologics and the lessons that have emerged from this rich experience.

METHODS

Details on proprietary prescription drugs/biologics, generic prescription drugs, and over-the-counter drugs were downloaded from the quarterly posts that begin in first quarter of 2008. Key information was tabulated, including proprietary and generic names of products or classes of products, the identified potential signals of serious risks, the labeling-decision category (updated, no action is necessary at this time, or evaluating the need for regulatory action), the labeling section (Warnings and Precautions, Adverse Reactions, Drug Safety Communications, Contraindications, or Boxed Warnings), and estimated times to updated decisions.

FINDINGS

Since the beginning of the FDAAA Section 921 posting requirement, the FDA has posted 555 potential signals of serious risk or new safety information. Of these, there have been 262 posts (47%) that resulted in decisions requiring updated product labeling, 75 posts (14%) that resulted in decisions that no action was necessary, and 218 posts (39%) indicating that the FDA was evaluating the need for regulatory action. Of the 262 posts that required updating one or more sections of a product label, there was a preponderance of Warnings and Precautions, with 172 (66%); followed by Adverse Reactions, with 114 (44%); Drug Safety Communications, 44 (18%); Contraindications, 27 (10%); and Boxed Warnings, 19 (7%). The median times to update decisions were 12 months for Warnings & Precautions, Adverse Reactions, and Boxed Warnings, and 11 months for Contraindications.

IMPLICATIONS

Important themes from the present analysis include the following: (1) nearly 80% of posts resulted in updated product labeling; (2) 20% of decisions concerned classes of proprietary and generic drug/biologic products; (3) product-use errors, such as name confusion, continue to be important; (4) the safe use of pharmaceuticals in children is gaining attention but still has a long way to go; and (5) drug-drug interactions are of continuing concern. The FDA Amendments Act § 921 program will continue to have an important place in the future of pharmacovigilance practices.

Wrong-Patient Ordering Errors in Peripartum Mother-Newborn Pairs: A Unique Patient-Safety Challenge in Obstetrics

Because maternal morbidity and mortality remain persistent challenges to the U.S. health care system, efforts to improve inpatient patient safety are critical. One important aspect of ensuring patient safety is reducing medical errors. However, obstetrics presents a uniquely challenging environment for safe ordering practices. When mother-newborn pairs are admitted in the postpartum setting with nearly identical names in the medical record (for example, Jane Doe and Janegirl Doe), there is a potential for wrong-patient medication ordering errors. This can lead to harm from the wrong patient receiving a medication or diagnostic test, especially a newborn receiving an adult dose of medication, as well as delaying treatment for the appropriate patient. We describe two clinical scenarios of wrong-patient ordering errors between mother-newborn pairs. The first involves an intravenous labetalol order that was placed for a postpartum patient but was released from the automated dispensing cabinet under the newborn's name. The medication was administered correctly, but an automatic order for labetalol was generated in the neonate's chart. Another scenario involves a woman presenting in labor with acute psychotic symptoms. The psychiatry service placed a note and orders for antipsychotic medications in the neonate's chart. These orders were cancelled shortly thereafter and replaced for the mother. These scenarios illustrate this specific patient-safety concern inherent in the treatment of mother-newborn pairs and highlight that perinatal units should evaluate threats to patient safety embedded in the unique mother-newborn relationship and develop strategies to reduce risk.