MEREAFaPS: uno Studio di Farmacovigilanza Attiva e Farmacoepidemiologia in Pronto Soccorso

Background In the U.S.A and Europe, over the past decade, much has been done to improve the post-marketing drug surveillance and pharmacovigilance systems. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have a considerable negative impact on healthcare costs. In western countries, ADRs cause 3% to 5% of all hospital admissions and are responsible for about 5% to 10% of in-hospital costs [Perrone V et al, 2014]. Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of ADRs on Emergency-department accesses, using data from MEREAFaPS Study. This could help in minimizing ADRs incidence in the population and in increasing awareness about drug safety. Results Elderly patients were the most exposed group to ADRs, the same as women. Gastrointestinal disorders were the most common severe ADRs. Acetylsalicylic acid and warfarin were the two drugs most involved in severe cases. Furthermore, 17% of severe ADRs and 32.39% of ADRs-related deaths were classified as avoidable. Conclusion Old age is the major risk factor for ADRs. Pharmacokinetics changes, politherapy, and comorbidity in elderly are probably the causes of this higher susceptibility, highlighting the need of more careful drug use. Moreover, an improvement of practitioners and health professionals knowledge on drug safety is warranted [Lombardi N et al, 2013; Lenti MC et al, 2014; Lombardi N et al, 2015].