A Prospective Analysis of the Preventability of Adverse Drug Reactions Reported in Sweden

Overview

Journal Eur J Clin Pharmacol

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2012 Feb 22

PMID 22349466

Citations 7

Authors

Henrik Lovborg

Linda Ring Eriksson

Anna K Jonsson

Thomas Bradley

Staffan Hagg

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a major patient safety issue, and a substantial proportion of ADRs are, in fact, preventable. The aim of this study was to describe the proportion and pattern of preventable ADRs in spontaneously reported suspected ADRs and to study the feasibility of using data from an ADR reporting system for this purpose.

Methods: All reports of ADRs, except those in which a vaccine was the suspected drug, submitted to the regional pharmacovigilance center of southeastern Sweden between 2008 and 2009 were analyzed. Causality between the suspected ADR and the medication was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, and preventability was assessed using Hallas criteria.

Results: During the study period, 1,290 ADRs were received and 1,255 were classified as having at least a possible causality between a reaction and a drug. Of these, 172 (14%) ADRs were considered preventable, 35 (20%) were classified as definitely preventable, and 137 (80%) as possibly preventable. Of all preventable ADRs, 96 (56%) were related to prescribing, 35 (20%) to administration, and 41 (24%) to clinical and laboratory monitoring of treatment. Warfarin, oxycodone, and ioversol were the most common drugs with preventable ADRs.

Conclusions: This study found that a substantial part of reported ADRs are preventable. Most of these are related to drug prescription, suggesting that interventions aiming to reduce preventable ADRs should focus on this process. Moreover, systems for ADR reporting may be useful in the mission of reducing the unsafe use of drugs.

Citing Articles

Adverse Drug Reactions Spontaneously Reported at a Tertiary Care Hospital and Preventable Measures Implemented.

Abu Esba L, Al Mardawi G, AlJasser M, Aljohani B, Abu Alburak A J Clin Pharm Ther. 2020; 46(2):460-469.

PMID: 33285001 PMC: 8247361. DOI: 10.1111/jcpt.13306.

Incidence, preventability, and causality of adverse drug reactions at a university hospital emergency department.

Kauppila M, Backman J, Niemi M, Lapatto-Reiniluoto O Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2020; 77(4):643-650.

PMID: 33188450 PMC: 7935812. DOI: 10.1007/s00228-020-03043-3.

An investigation into the avoidability of adverse drug reactions using the LAAT and modified Hallas tools.

Danjuma M, Al Shokri S, Abubeker I, Malik A, Abdallah I, Shafei M Medicine (Baltimore). 2020; 99(1):e18569.

PMID: 31895800 PMC: 6946216. DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000018569.

Medications Without Harm?.

Al-Zadjali B, Al-Busaidi B Oman Med J. 2018; 33(6):451-452.

PMID: 30410685 PMC: 6206416. DOI: 10.5001/omj.2018.84.

Development of the Liverpool Adverse Drug Reaction Avoidability Assessment Tool.

Bracken L, Nunn A, Kirkham J, Peak M, Arnott J, Smyth R PLoS One. 2017; 12(1):e0169393.

PMID: 28046035 PMC: 5207751. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169393.

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