Medication related event types: definitions and examples (adapted from Kaushal et al3)
| Event type | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ADE, adverse drug event. | ||
| ADE | Actual injuries resulting from medical interventions related to a medicine | Troublesome drug rash requiring intervention |
| Preventable ADE | Actual injuries resulting from the use of medication in error | The development of a rash after administration of flucloxacillin in a patient known to be allergic to penicillins |
| Non-preventable ADE | Actual injuries resulting from the use of a medication not associated with error, also termed adverse drug reactions | The development of a rash after administration of flucloxacillin in a patient with no known drug allergies |
| Potential ADE | Events that have a significant potential for injuring a patient but do not actually cause harm. This may be because they are intercepted before reaching the patient or, due to particular circumstances or chance, the patient is able to tolerate the error | A prescription order written for a 10-fold overdose of digoxin that is intercepted and corrected by the pharmacist before reaching the patient. A non-intercepted potential ADE would be the administration of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent to a patient with asthma who does not experience any adverse effects |
| Medication error | Harmless errors associated with the use of a medication | Administration of one regular dose of non-critical medication given more than 2 hours later than scheduled |
| Rule violation | Faulty medication orders with little potential for harm or extra work because they are typically interpreted correctly by pharmacy and nursing staff without additional clarification | Prescription written for regular medication but not dated |
| Other events | Any reported events not classified as one of the other four event types | Mild side effects that are tolerated without need of intervention or general practice related issues |