Abstract
Background
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are notoriously underreported within health care facilities. In 2009-2010, ADRs were detected in only 0.5% of patients at the authors' institution, a pediatric hospital in the Midwestern United States. Additionally, historical ADRs were often inaccurately or incompletely documented in the medical record. An integrative Drug Safety Service (DSS) was implemented to improve the detection and accurate documentation of ADRs.Methods
The DSS incorporated standardized ADR terminology, computerized triggers to identify ADRs, and a simplified voluntary reporting system within the facility. The DSS staff provided extensive hospital staff education on ADR reporting and the role of the DSS. The primary aim of this report was to assess the impact of the DSS on the number of ADRs reported at the authors' institution. The secondary aims were to evaluate the mechanisms by which patients with ADRs were identified and to assess the accuracy of ADR documentation after implementation of the DSS.Results
A significant increase was observed (slope, 6.01; P Conclusions
Implementation of a multifaceted, interdisciplinary DSS was more effective in detecting ADRs than voluntary reporting alone. A proactive approach to ADR detection resulted in a significant increase in the identification and evaluation of ADRs.