New Study Finds Adverse Drug Events Are the Most Common Adverse Events in High Income Countries

An international study of medical harm in hospitals reveals that in high income countries, including the United States, the most common adverse events are adverse drug events, occurring in five percent of hospital stays.

The research team analyzed 4,000 articles examining substandard care in hospitals, focusing on seven key facets of poor care: adverse drug events; catheter-associated urinary tract infections; catheter-associated bloodstream infections; hospital acquired pneumonia; blood clots; and pressure ulcers.

They found for every 100 hospital admissions, 14 cases of substandard care occurred in high-income countries, for a total of  nearly 17 million cases of harm. Thirteen occurred in low- and middle-income countries, for a total of nearly 26 million cases of harm.

The research team noted that adverse drug events are among the most preventable adverse events. The study was reported on on the DoctorsLounge website.

An INQRI-funded study led by Linda Costa and Robert Feroli, evaluated the effectiveness of using a nurse-pharmacist team to oversee medication management during the transition from hospital to home and from hospital health care provider to primary care provider to prevent adverse drug events. Nurses in the study, which was published in the Journal of Nursing Quality Care, were able to detect medication discrepancies and help correct them. They were also able to encourage patients to fill prescriptions and take them in the correct doses.