Medication Safety

 

For Adults and Older Adult Adverse Drug Events

Released March 2008

For Adults and Older Adult Adverse Drug Events

Medicines cure infectious diseases, prevent problems from chronic diseases, and alleviate pain and suffering for millions of Americans every day. But medicines can also cause harm. When someone has been harmed by a medicine, they have had an adverse drug event. To reduce the risk of harm from adverse drug events adults should:

  • Keep a list of your medicines
  • Follow directions
  • Ask questions
  • Keep up with any blood testing recommended by your doctor
  • Take pain relievers and antibiotics only as directed

top

Adverse drug events are a large public health problem.
  • Adverse drug events cause over 700,000 emergency department visits each year. Nearly 120,000 patients each year need to be hospitalized for further treatment after emergency visits for adverse drug events. As more and more people take more medicines, the risk of adverse events may increase.
  • As people age, they typically take more medicines. Older adults (65 years or older) are twice as likely as others to come to emergency departments for adverse drug events (over 177,000 emergency visits each year) and nearly seven times more likely to be hospitalized after an emergency visit.

    Tips:

  • Keep a list of your medicines. Keep a list of the names of your medicines, how much you take, and when you take them. Some medicines have two names, a brand name and a generic name. It is important to know both. Include over-the-counter medicine, vitamins, and supplements and herbs. Take this list to all your doctor visits and update it when your medicines change.
  • Follow the directions. Take your medicines exactly as prescribed. Don't take other people's medicines.
  • Ask questions. If you don't know the answers to these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Why am I taking this medicine? What are the common problems to watch out for? What should I do if they occur?

top

Some medicines require blood testing and these are more likely to cause serious adverse events.
  • Some medicines need blood testing to help make sure the dose is just right for you. Over 40% of emergency visits which require patients to be hospitalized are caused by just a few of these medicines which require regular monitoring with blood tests.

    Tip:

  • Ask if you need blood testing. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any medicines that need blood testing and pay particular attention to taking these drugs properly and getting regular blood testing and follow-up. Common drugs that can require monitoring are
  • For more information:

  • For Safe Use of Oral Anticoagulants*, SOS Rx

top

Unintentional overdoses of pain relievers cause many deaths
  • Medicines to relieve pain improve the quality of life for millions of Americans. However, in 2004, over 7,500 Americans died of unintentional overdoses of opioid analgesics (pain medicines such as methadone, oxycodone, and hydrocodone), more people than from cocaine or heroin

top

Some medicines may not be effective in improving your health
  • Antibiotics can kill bacteria but not viruses. Most colds, coughs, flu, sore throats, and runny noses are caused by viruses. Taking antibiotics for viral infections will not cure viral infections, keep others from catching the illness, or help you feel better. Although antibiotics are good drugs for certain types of infections, they are also the type of medicines that cause the most emergency visits for adverse drug events. Nearly 100,000 adults are treated in emergency departments each year because of adverse events from antibiotics.

    Tip:

  • Do not ask for antibiotics when a doctor says they are not needed. They will not help treat viral infections.
  • If you are prescribed an antibiotic, make sure to take all the medicine as prescribed, even if you feel better. Do not save antibiotics "for later."

top

 

* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.

Date last modified: March 27, 2008
Content source: 
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP)
National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases