The Risks and Outcomes Resulting From Medication Errors Reported in the Finnish Tertiary Care Units:: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Register Study

Descriptive analysis on disproportionate medication errors and associated patient characteristics in the Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System

BACKGROUND

Medication errors (MEs) are a major public health concern which can cause harm and financial burden within the healthcare system. Characterizing MEs is crucial to develop strategies to mitigate MEs in the future.

OBJECTIVES

To characterize ME-associated reports, and investigate signals of disproportionate reporting (SDRs) on MEs in the Food and Drug Administration's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

METHODS

FAERS data from 2004 to 2020 was used. ME reports were identified with the narrow Standardised Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities® (MedDRA®) Query (SMQ) for MEs. Drug names were converted to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification. SDRs were investigated using the reporting odds ratio (ROR).

RESULTS

In total 488 470 ME reports were identified, mostly (59%) submitted by consumers and mainly (55%) associated with females. Median age at time of ME was 57 years (interquartile range: 37-70 years). Approximately 1 out of 3 reports stated a serious health outcome. The most prevalent reported drug class was "antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents" (25%). The most common ME type was "incorrect dose administered" (9%). Of the 1659 SDRs obtained, adalimumab was the most common drug associated with MEs, noting a ROR of 1.22 (95% confidence interval: 1.21-1.24).

CONCLUSION

This study offers a first of its kind characterization of MEs as reported to FAERS. Reported MEs are frequent and may be associated with serious health outcomes. This FAERS data provides insights on ME prevention and offers possibilities for additional in-depth analyses.

Effect of educational intervention on medication reconciliation practice of hospital pharmacists in a developing country - A non-randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Medication reconciliation is an evidence-based practice that reduces medication-related harm to patients. This study evaluated the effect of educational intervention on medication reconciliation practice of pharmacists among ambulatory diabetes and hypertensive patients.

METHODS

A non-randomized clinical trial on medication reconciliation practice was carried out among 85 and 61 pharmacists at the intervention site and control site, respectively. Medication reconciliation was carried out among 334 (intervention-183; control-151) diabetes and/or hypertensive patients by the principal investigator to indirectly evaluate pharmacists' baseline medication reconciliation practice at both sites. A general educational intervention was carried out among intervention pharmacists. Medication reconciliation was carried out by the principal investigator among another cohort of 96 (intervention-46; control-50) and 90 (intervention-44; control-46) patients at three and six months postintervention, respectively, to indirectly assess pharmacists' postintervention medication reconciliation practice. Thereafter, a focused educational intervention was carried out among 15 of the intervention pharmacists. Three experts in clinical pharmacy analysed the medication reconciliation form filled by the 15 pharmacists after carrying out medication reconciliation on another cohort of 140 patients, after the focused intervention. Data was summarized with descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean ± standard deviation) and inferential (Pearson product-moment correlations analysis, independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA) statistics with level of significance set at p<0.05.

KEY FINDINGS

Baseline medication reconciliation practice was poor at both sites. Post-general educational intervention, medication discrepancy was significantly reduced by 42.8% at the intervention site (p<0.001). At the intervention site, a significant increase of 54.3% was observed in patients bringing their medication packs for clinic appointments making medication reconciliation easier (p=0.003), at 6-months postintervention. Thirty-five, 66 and 48 drug therapy problems were detected by 31 (43.1%), 33 (66.0%) and 32 (71.1%) intervention pharmacists at 1-, 3- and 6-month post-general educational intervention, respectively. Post-focused educational intervention, out of a total of 695 medications prescribed, 75 (10.8%) medication discrepancies were detected and resolved among 42 (30%) patients by the 15 pharmacists.

CONCLUSIONS

The educational interventions improved pharmacists' medication reconciliation practice at the intervention site. It is expected that this research would help create awareness on medication reconciliation among pharmacists in developing countries, with a view to reducing medication-related patient harm.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of clinical pharmacists to medication error reporting in ministry of health and population hospitals in Egypt

Objective

This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices toward medication errors (MEs) reporting among pharmacists working in Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) hospitals in Alexandria.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among all pharmacists who are responsible for reporting medication errors in the Egyptian online reporting system (NO HARMe).

Results

The majority of pharmacists received training on MEs reporting using the Egyptian online reporting system. Around half of the pharmacists knew the correct definition for medication errors. All respondents were aware of the presence of a MEs reporting system in Egypt. Clinical pharmacists’ attitudes towards MEs reporting was favorable with an overall mean score of 4.20 ± 0.73 in a score ranging from 1 (most unfavorable attitudes score) to 5 (most favorable score). Only 60.7% of the surveyed pharmacists used the system to report MEs. Antibiotics were the most frequent drug category reported and the prescribing stage was the stage in which pharmacists perceived the greatest volume of reports were made (89.3% and 71.4%, respectively). Lack of time was the most frequently identified barrier to reporting, followed by lack of feedback to the report submitted (73.2%, 54.5%, respectively). Inconsistent with the results of other studies, fear from legal consequences and being recognized as an incompetent provider was reported by only 12.5% and 11.6% of pharmacists, respectively.

Conclusion

The majority of pharmacists have good knowledge and favorable attitudes towards medication error reporting, however around two fifths do not report medication errors.

Drug related problems in clinical practice: a cross-sectional study on their prevalence, risk factors and associated pharmaceutical interventions

Drug-related problems (DRP) cause preventable negative health outcomes, especially during hospital admissions. The aim of our study was to examine the prevalence and characteristics of DRP in regular clinical pharmacy, as well as to determine those factors associated with a higher risk of DRP in the hospital setting. We analyzed data from a standardized registry database of regular pharmacy practice (2015- 2016). DRP were classified according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe v6.2 classification. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 1602 adults admitted to medical wards. Crude and adjusted binary logistic regressions were performed to identify associations between potential risk factors and DRP. Overall DRP prevalence was high across medical specialties (45,1%), in a population characterized by advanced age, polypharmacy and multimorbidity. Problems leading to DRP were mainly classified into two domains (effectiveness and adverse reactions), being drug and dose selection the most frequent causes. Interventions were accepted and DRP were totally or partially solved in 74.1% and 4.81% of cases, respectively. In the adjusted model polypharmacy, allergies, BMI > 25 kg/m2 and clearance < 30 mL/min were associated with a higher risk of DRP. The participation of clinical pharmacists into multidisciplinary teams promotes the detection and solution of DRP. Polypharmacy, obesity, renal impairment and allergy are associated with a higher risk of DRP during admission.