Medication Adverse Reaction, Risk Stratification (MAR²S) Model.

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Risk Management

Background:

• Medications pose risks within aviation systems, necessitating risk analysis and mitigation.
• The Army Aeromedical Activity (AAMA) processed numerous medication waiver requests and prescriptions for active duty soldiers.
• Specific drug classes like opioids, SSRIs, muscle relaxants, and hypnotics were frequently prescribed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a conceptual model for mitigating medication-related risks in aviation.
• To address deficiencies in current methods for assessing medication safety, such as high variance and ambiguity.

Main Methods:

• A conceptual model was developed based on Prudhomme et al.'s methodology to mitigate medication adverse reaction risks by severity score.
• Statistical analysis, including the nonparametric Wilcoxon rank sum test, was used to compare safe and unsafe drugs.

Main Results:

• The mean severity score for historically safe medications in Army aviation was 7346 (SD=7300).
• A highly significant difference was found between safe and unsafe drugs as determined by subject matter experts (SMEs).

Conclusions:

• Current methods for assessing medication safety in aviation have significant room for improvement.
• A new model is needed that offers transparency, simplicity, and speed in addressing adverse drug reactions.
• The conceptual model provides a visual representation highlighting areas for enhancement in current risk mitigation strategies.