Article type
Abstract
Background:
Children present unique medication prescribing and monitoring considerations as weight-based dosing calculations are often required, a situation further complicated by a lack of standardized pediatric easy-to-use dosage formulations. Pediatric medication-related events or adverse drug events (ADEs) are the most frequent type of medical error involving children. In fact, an estimated 75% of licensed pharmaceuticals in North America have never been tested in children, yet they are routinely utilized in this population without adequate evidence of their safety and efficacy. Despite this common occurrence, there is limited data describing the frequency and epidemiology of their occurrence, particularly in the non-inpatient setting.
Objectives:
The current scoping review aims to identify the prevalence and distribution of ADEs in children in non-health-care settings (ie, community settings). The Institute of Safe Medication Practice (ISMP) Canada is partnering with this review team, as they have a demonstrated interest and expertise in analyzing reports related to pediatric medication incidents, with a focus on those in the community.
Research Question:
What is the prevalence and distribution of community-based ADEs in children, as related to demographics, drug classes, off-label use, severity, and type of ADE?
Methods:
This scoping review will be conducted according to the JBI methodology, with study selection and data extraction completed by 2 reviewers.
Results:
The extracted data will be presented in a diagrammatic or tabular form that aligns with this scoping review’s objectives. A narrative summary of the findings tables will describe how included studies relate to the research objective and question(s). ISMP Canada will share recommended strategies for reducing the risk of preventable harm through provincial and national knowledge dissemination strategies such bulletins for health care professionals and newsletters for consumers.
Conclusions:
By creating a summary of the current prevalence and distribution of ADEs in children aged 19 or under, pharmacies will have increased knowledge of areas needing improvement to decrease these errors. This scoping review will provide stakeholders with insight so they can effectively implement practices to better address emerging challenges.
Children present unique medication prescribing and monitoring considerations as weight-based dosing calculations are often required, a situation further complicated by a lack of standardized pediatric easy-to-use dosage formulations. Pediatric medication-related events or adverse drug events (ADEs) are the most frequent type of medical error involving children. In fact, an estimated 75% of licensed pharmaceuticals in North America have never been tested in children, yet they are routinely utilized in this population without adequate evidence of their safety and efficacy. Despite this common occurrence, there is limited data describing the frequency and epidemiology of their occurrence, particularly in the non-inpatient setting.
Objectives:
The current scoping review aims to identify the prevalence and distribution of ADEs in children in non-health-care settings (ie, community settings). The Institute of Safe Medication Practice (ISMP) Canada is partnering with this review team, as they have a demonstrated interest and expertise in analyzing reports related to pediatric medication incidents, with a focus on those in the community.
Research Question:
What is the prevalence and distribution of community-based ADEs in children, as related to demographics, drug classes, off-label use, severity, and type of ADE?
Methods:
This scoping review will be conducted according to the JBI methodology, with study selection and data extraction completed by 2 reviewers.
Results:
The extracted data will be presented in a diagrammatic or tabular form that aligns with this scoping review’s objectives. A narrative summary of the findings tables will describe how included studies relate to the research objective and question(s). ISMP Canada will share recommended strategies for reducing the risk of preventable harm through provincial and national knowledge dissemination strategies such bulletins for health care professionals and newsletters for consumers.
Conclusions:
By creating a summary of the current prevalence and distribution of ADEs in children aged 19 or under, pharmacies will have increased knowledge of areas needing improvement to decrease these errors. This scoping review will provide stakeholders with insight so they can effectively implement practices to better address emerging challenges.