Adverse drug event trigger tool: construction and application of a readyto-use tool at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital

Abstract

Background: Adverse drug event (ADE) is one of the most common causes of injury to patients, accounting for 19% of adverse events (AEs), particularly among the elderly due to their sensitivity to ADE. Thus, taking ADE detection is the first vital step in improving medication safety. Objective: This study aimed to develop an appropriate modified triggers tool based on Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Global Trigger tool for Adverse Events detecting potential ADEs in patients at Hue University Hospital. Materials and methods: Using a retrospective study on the medical records of inpatients treated in Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in 2020. Results: The modified ADE trigger tool encompassed 13 triggers. In the screening stage, the ADEs were found in 18 medical records (1.9% of total screening records), and 22 ADEs were identified, in which 19 ADEs were determined as adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The study also found that 17/19 ADRs had not been reported via a spontaneous reporting system (89.5%). The modified ADE Trigger tool’s positive predictive value (PPV) was 0.06. Conclusion: A modified ADE Trigger tool for detecting ADE has been constructed and applied at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital. This study would be the first motivation for further studies that attempt to apply this tool into daily clinical pharmacy activities and emphasize the role of Clinical Pharmacists at the hospital. Key words: Adverse Drug Event, adverse event, geriatrics, clinical pharmacy.