Clinical and economic impacts of explicit tools detecting prescribing errors: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Patient Safety
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Explicit tools are designed to minimize medication errors and enhance patient safety.
• The clinical and economic impact of these explicit tools remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review existing literature to identify explicit tools for detecting prescribing errors.
• To assess the clinical and economic outcomes associated with the use of these identified tools.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of systematic reviews identified 49 explicit tools for geriatrics and internal medicine.
• A subsequent systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the impact of these tools.

Main Results:

• Five RCTs utilized explicit tools (3 STOPP/START, 2 FORTA).
• Three RCTs reported significant improvements in clinical outcomes like falls and adverse drug reactions.
• Two STOPP/START RCTs demonstrated significant economic benefits.

Conclusions:

• Explicit tools demonstrate potential in enhancing patient safety.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the clinical and economic impact of explicit tools.