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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2015 Aug 20:15:337.
doi: 10.1186/s12913-015-0990-1.

The effect on potential adverse drug events of a pharmacist-acquired medication history in an emergency department: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, controlled, parallel-group study

Jesus Becerra-Camargo  1 , Fernando Martínez-Martínez  2 , Emilio García-Jiménez  3
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

The effect on potential adverse drug events of a pharmacist-acquired medication history in an emergency department: a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, controlled, parallel-group study

Jesus Becerra-Camargo et al. BMC Health Serv Res. .

Abstract

Background: Potential adverse drug events (PADEs) are defined as being potentially harmful unintentional medication discrepancies. Discrepancies regarding medication history (MH) often occur when a patient is being admitted to a hospital's emergency department (ED); they are clinically important and represent a significant source of data regarding adverse drug events occurring during emergency admission to hospital. This study sought to measure the impact of pharmacist-acquired MH during admission to an ED; it focused on whether a patient's current home medication regimen being available for a doctor when consulting a patient in an ED would have reduced potential adverse drug events.

Method: A multicentre, double-blind, randomised, controlled parallel-group study was carried out at 3 large teaching hospitals in Bogota, Colombia. Two hundred and seventy patients who had been admitted to an ED were enrolled; each had a standardised, comprehensive MH interview, focusing on a patient's current home medication regimen prior to being seen by a doctor. Data recorded on the admission medication order form was available to be used by a doctor during consultation in the ED. The main outcome dealt with comparing the intervention and control groups regarding the percentage of patients having at least 1 potential adverse drug event.

Results: There were 811 PADE (3.35 per patient), 528 (65%) on the standard care arm and 283 (35%) on an intervention arm. Most PADEs were judged to have had the potential to cause moderate discomfort (42.6%), 33.4% were deemed unlikely to have caused harm and 23.9% were judged to have had the potential to cause clinical deterioration.

Conclusion: Many patients suffer potentially adverse drugs events during the transition of care from home to a hospital. Patient safety-focused medication reconciliation during admission to an ED involving a pharmacist and drawing up a history of complete medication could contribute towards reducing the risk of PADES occurring and improve follow-up of patients' medication-based therapy.

Trial registration: 28/10/2012, ISRCTN63455839.

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Figures

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Study design
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Flow diagram regarding participants
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CONSORT checklist of information.
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References

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