Is It Safe to Conclude that Beers Criteria Medications Led to Few Adverse Events?
Authors: Daniel S. Budnitz, Nadine Shehab, Scott R. Kegler, Chesley L. Richards
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2008)

Letters15 April 2008Is It Safe to Conclude that Beers Criteria Medications Led to Few Adverse Events?Daniel S. Budnitz, MD, MPH, Nadine Shehab, PharmD, Scott R. Kegler, PhD, and Chesley L. Richards, MD, MPHDaniel S. Budnitz, MD, MPHFrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333.Search for more papers by this author, Nadine Shehab, PharmDFrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333.Search for more papers by this author, Scott R. Kegler, PhDFrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333.Search for more papers by this author, and Chesley L. Richards, MD, MPHFrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-148-8-200804150-00018 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:We thank Dr. Golden and colleagues for their response to our recent article. They brought up several interesting issues, but we believe the critical issue for patient safety is identified by Dr. Krishnamurthy in his online letter (1). The estimated 59 000 emergency department visits each year caused by adverse events from the use of insulin, warfarin, and digoxin are harms that should be addressed. We stand by our conclusions that performance measures and interventions targeting the use of warfarin, insulin, and digoxin could prevent more emergency department visits for adverse events than measures targeting the use of “potentially ...References1. Krishnamurthy M. Adverse drug events in the elderly—time to reiterate “primum non nocere” [Rapid Response]. Ann Intern Med. www.annals.org/cgi/eletters/147/11/755#46586. Published 4 December 2007. Accessed 7 March 2008. Google Scholar2. Budnitz DS, Shehab N, Kegler SR, Richards CL. Medication use leading to emergency department visits for adverse drug events in older adults. Ann Intern Med. 2007;147:755-65. [PMID: 18056659] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Spinewine A, Schmader KE, Barber N, Hughes C, Lapane KL, Swine C, et al. Appropriate prescribing in elderly people: how well can it be measured and optimised? Lancet. 2007;370:173-84. [PMID: 17630041] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. National Committee for Quality Assurance. HEDIS 2008 Volume 1: Narrative. Washington, DC: National Committee on Quality Assurance; 2007. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoMedication Use Leading to Emergency Department Visits for Adverse Drug Events in Older Adults Daniel S. Budnitz , Nadine Shehab , Scott R. Kegler , and Chesley L. Richards Is It Safe to Conclude that Beers Criteria Medications Led to Few Adverse Events? Adam Golden , Mark H. Beers , and Donna M. Fick Metrics Cited ByCurrent awareness: Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety 15 April 2008Volume 148, Issue 8Page: 629KeywordsAdverse eventsBeerChartsDrug safetyInsulinPrevention, policy, and public healthSafety ePublished: 15 April 2008 Issue Published: 15 April 2008 CopyrightCopyright © 2008 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...