In the report, the IOM outlined a number of IT-related strategies which could cut the number of adverse drug events (ADEs). These included using point-of-care reference information accessed over the internet or from personal digital assistants, enabling prescribers to obtain detailed information about the medication they are prescribing.
E-prescriptions were also touted as a method to avoid mistakes tied up with illegible and incomplete handwritten prescriptions. By tying in e-prescriptions with the patient’s medical history, the IOM says it is possible to automatically check for drug allergies, drug-drug interactions, and overly high doses. The committee recommended that, by 2010, all prescribers and pharmacies should be using e-prescriptions.
In addition, the IOM called for healthcare suppliers to put effective internal monitoring programs in place, which would allow them to determine the incidence rates of ADEs more accurately and thus provide a way of measuring their progress toward improved medication safety.
