Worth knowing for both patients and
professional medical staff

Various publications on the topic: Medication safety,
medication processes and medication logistics

Cost of adverse drug events; D.W. Bates

2010.05.
Cost of adverse drug events; D.W. Bates

Medication errors are costly 

According to different estimates, 60-80% of all errors in the health care sector can be attributed to human failure. The consequences of medication errors are disturbing. In an extensive report by D.W. Bates and colleagues, the following extrapolations were made:

• Estimated annual costs of Adverse Drug Events (ADE) for a 700-bed hospital: $ 5.6 million
• ADEs were recorded in 6.5% of all patients
• Overall costs: $ 2,595 per ADE
• ADEs lead to 2.2 additional days of hospitalisation
• Preventable ADEs (28% of all ADE) annual cost: $ 2.8 million
• Costs for each preventable ADE: $ 4,685
• Preventable ADEs result in additional 4.6 days of hospitalisation
• 57% of all ADEs were judged significant (30% serious, 12% life-threatening and 1% fatal)

"These estimates do not include costs of injuries to patients, malpractice costs, or the costs of less serious medication errors or admissions related to ADEs. These results suggest that hospitals can justify devoting additional resources to develop systems that reduce the number of preventable ADEs not only to improve patient care but also to reduce ADE-related expenses."

Source: Cost of adverse drug events; D.W. Bates et. al., JAMA, Jan 22/29, 1997 – Vol277, No. 4