Preventable Causes of Drug-Related Problems
Category | Definition |
|---|---|
Drug interactions | Use of a drug results in a drug-drug, drug-food, drug-supplement, or drug-disease interaction, leading to adverse effects or decreased efficacy. |
Inadequate monitoring | A medical problem is being treated with the correct drug, but the patient is not adequately monitored for complications, effectiveness, or both. |
Inappropriate drug selection | A medical problem that requires drug therapy is being treated with a less-than-optimal drug or with a drug that is generally ineffective for treating the medical problem. |
Inappropriate treatment | A patient is taking a drug for no medically valid reason, or the treatment risks outweigh the potential benefits of the drug. |
Lack of patient adherence | The correct drug for a medical problem is prescribed, but the patient is not taking it as directed. |
Overdosage | A medical problem is being treated with too much of the correct drug. |
Poor communication | Drugs are inappropriately dosed, duplicated, continued, or stopped when care is poorly transitioned between providers and/or facilities. |
Underprescribing | A medical problem is being treated with too little of the correct drug. |
Untreated medical problem | A medical problem requires drug therapy, but no drug is being used to treat that problem. |