The role of pharmacy in minimising medicationrelated adverse events
September 14, 2015
MEDICATION errors can occur at
any point in a patient’s medication
management journey. Aside from
potentially devastating clinical
outcomes, the financial implications
are daunting. It has been estimated
that 190,000 medication-related
hospital admissions occur per year
in Australia, with estimated costs of
at least $660 million1 .
Technology plays a vital role in
helping to address this problem via
the delivery of decision support in
electronic medication management
(eMM) systems, yet surprisingly, it’s
only recently that hard evidence has
emerged to support this conclusion
in Australia. Johanna Westbrook and
her team at the Australian Institute
of Health Innovation published a
landmark study earlier this year,
which concluded that significant
reductions in medication errors
could be gained, and costs saved,
by the implementation of eMM
systems within hospitals2 .
Pharmacy dispensing software
systems already incorporate
some form of drug interaction
screening although the quality of
this screening varies and often the
patient’s full current medications
(including OTC products), are
not in the system. This highlights
the importance of access to a
reliable evidence-based drug
interactions resource and other
drug safety screening as part of a
full medication review. Community
pharmacy has a vital role to play
in identifying potential problems
and minimising medication-related
adverse events.
1 Semple Susan J, Roughhead Elizabeth E (2009)
Australia and New Zealand Health Policy 6
2 Westbrook JI, et al. J Am Med Inform Assoc
2015;0:1–12
This week’s
contributor is
Diana Bicopoulos,
Managing Editor of
Medical Director.
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