The Prevalence of High-Risk Prescribing of Oral Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Primary Healthcare: A Single-Centre Retrospective Chart Review Study.

The quality and safety of prescribed drugs can be assessed using prescribing safety indicators (PSIs). This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of PSIs of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) at primary care clinics of a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia and to identify the risk factors associated with positive PSIs for patients. In this retrospective chart review study, data from the medical records of 450 patients aged ≥18 years, who were prescribed oral NSAIDs, were reviewed and collected manually. Seven PSIs were chosen and defined as follows: prescription of an oral NSAID to any patient with a peptic ulcer; aged ≥75 years; aged ≥65 years with a glomerular filtration rate <60; heart failure; co-prescribed warfarin; co-prescribed aspirin or clopidogrel; or co-prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin II receptor blocker and a diuretic. Patients with positive indicators are at risk of harm from high-risk prescribing. The overall period prevalence of PSIs is 153/450 (34%; 95% CI 29.60−38.39). The overall proportion of PSIs is 202/431 (46.9%; 95% CI 42.12−51.61). The most common safety indicators were for NSAIDs prescribed to patients with heart failure and patients aged ≥65 years with a glomerular filtration rate <60. The elderly and patients using polypharmacy are at increased risk of having at least one positive PSI (OR 5.22; 95% CI 3.32−8.21, p-value < 0.001 and OR 2.97; 95% CI 1.17−7.55, p-value 0.022, respectively). Patients at risk of harm from high-risk NSAID prescriptions are common in primary care. The elderly and patients on polypharmacy are at increased risk of having at least one positive PSI. Therefore, when NSAIDs are prescribed, it is recommended to weigh the benefits versus the risks for high-risk patients, such as the elderly and those with multiple-drug therapy.

What is the epidemiology of medication errors, error-related adverse events and risk factors for errors in adults managed in community care contexts? A systematic review of the international literature.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiology of medication errors and error-related adverse events in adults in primary care, ambulatory care and patients' homes. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCE: Six international databases were searched for publications between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2015. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Two researchers independently extracted data from eligible studies and assessed the quality of these using established instruments. Synthesis of data was informed by an appreciation of the medicines' management process and the conceptual framework from the International Classification for Patient Safety. RESULTS: 60 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 53 studies focused on medication errors, 3 on error-related adverse events and 4 on risk factors only. The prevalence of prescribing errors was reported in 46 studies: prevalence estimates ranged widely from 2% to 94%. Inappropriate prescribing was the most common type of error reported. Only one study reported the prevalence of monitoring errors, finding that incomplete therapeutic/safety laboratory-test monitoring occurred in 73% of patients. The incidence of preventable adverse drug events (ADEs) was estimated as 15/1000 person-years, the prevalence of drug-drug interaction-related adverse drug reactions as 7% and the prevalence of preventable ADE as 0.4%. A number of patient, healthcare professional and medication-related risk factors were identified, including the number of medications used by the patient, increased patient age, the number of comorbidities, use of anticoagulants, cases where more than one physician was involved in patients' care and care being provided by family physicians/general practitioners. CONCLUSION: A very wide variation in the medication error and error-related adverse events rates is reported in the studies, this reflecting heterogeneity in the populations studied, study designs employed and outcomes evaluated. This review has identified important limitations and discrepancies in the methodologies used and gaps in the literature on the epidemiology and outcomes of medication errors in community settings.

Investigating the epidemiology of medication errors and error-related adverse drug events (ADEs) in primary care, ambulatory care and home settings: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: There is a need to better understand the epidemiology of medication errors and error-related adverse events in community care contexts. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will systematically search the following databases: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of the WHO (EMRO), MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science. In addition, we will search Google Scholar and contact an international panel of experts to search for unpublished and in progress work. The searches will cover the time period January 1990-December 2015 and will yield data on the incidence or prevalence of and risk factors for medication errors and error-related adverse drug events in adults living in community settings (ie, primary care, ambulatory and home). Study quality will be assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program quality assessment tool for cohort and case-control studies, and cross-sectional studies will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Descriptive Studies. Meta-analyses will be undertaken using random-effects modelling using STATA (V.14) statistical software. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This protocol will be registered with PROSPERO, an international prospective register of systematic reviews, and the systematic review will be reported in the peer-reviewed literature using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.