News Release

Drug safety in the doctor's office: Nearly half of patients have lapses in monitoring

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

May 5, 2005 – According to research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, only slightly more than half of patients taking chronic medications received the recommended laboratory tests to monitor drug side effects.

Annual or more frequent lab testing is recommended in patients who use certain medications on an ongoing basis so that drug complications can be avoided. However, these tests to monitor the safety of chronic medications are not performed as frequently as they should be. Prior research has indicated that as many as 60% of preventable drug complications were related to laboratory monitoring errors.

This study examined almost 100,000 patients taking medications for chronic illnesses over a period of three years to determine whether they received the recommended laboratory tests to monitor potential drug side effects. Nearly half of these patients (44-47% per year) did not receive one or more recommended tests, though it is important to note that the findings varied based on the type of drug,.

The researchers conclude that although lapses in drug safety monitoring in the outpatient setting are common, further research is needed to determine to what extent this failure to monitor results in actual medical problems. Drug safety monitoring is an important care issue that needs to be addressed by healthcare systems and physicians, and in physician practice guidelines.

Individuals who are prescribed a chronic medication can be proactive and ask their physicians what tests to monitor side effects are needed and how often, then call their physician for a laboratory referral when the time comes to be tested.

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Judith Hurley, M.S., R.D., co-investigator and lead author, was a Senior Research Associate at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute at the time of the study. Floyd J. Frost, Ph.D., principal investigator of the study, is a Senior Scientist at Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute. He can be reached for questions and interviews at ffrost@lrri.org or 505-348-8776.

This study is published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article please contact medicalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net.

About the Journal of General Internal Medicine

The Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM ) is the official scientific publication of the Society of General Internal Medicine, whose mission is to promote improved patient care, research, and education in primary care and general internal medicine. JGIM articles focus on topics such as clinical research, curriculum development, epidemiology, prevention, and health care delivery in general internal medicine.

About the Society of General Internal Medicine

The Society of General Internal Medicine is an international organization of physicians and others who combine caring for patients with educating and/or doing research. The society is dedicated to improving patient care, education, and research in primary care and general internal medicine. For more information visit www.sgim.org.

About Blackwell Publishing

Blackwell Publishing is the world's leading society publisher, partnering with more than 600 academic and professional societies. Blackwell publishes over 750 journals and 600 text and reference books annually, across a wide range of academic, medical, and professional subjects.


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