Medication safety and pharmacovigilance resources for the ambulatory care setting: enhancing patient safety

Reputable medication safety resources are fundamental to assist in reducing medication errors and educating consumers. The purpose of this article is to describe medication safety and pharmacovigilance electronic and mobile resources that are available to pharmacists to enhance patient safety in the ambulatory care setting at the national level through the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), American Medicine Chest Challenge, and Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP). Information concerning drug disposal methods is available through the FDA, DEA, and the American Medicine Chest Challenge Rx Drop app. The ISMP provides a variety of tools for reporting and preventing medication errors including Assess-ERR and ConsumerMedSafety.org. Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) were created as a requirement of the FDA Amendments Act of 2007 to ensure that the drug's benefits outweigh the risks. Health care professionals are encouraged to report adverse drug events through the FDA's MedWatch reporting system. Pharmacists have a variety of useful resources for their medication safety and pharmacovigilance toolbox. Studies should evaluate the use of these resources by pharmacists and consumers.