OBJECTIVES: To explore the association among sociodemographic factors and hospital adverse drug events (ADEs) on a national level.

METHODS: This study was retrospective and exploratory. The National Inpatient Sample database (NIS) was used to explore ADEs’ incidence rates (events/year) from 2009 -2014, inclusive. The ADE Action Plan was used for conceptual framework. Hence, only ADEs due to anticoagulants, diabetes agents, and opioids were investigated. Patients aged 18 years or older were included in the analysis, and ICD-9 codes related to ADEs were used to identify the study population. The diagnosis variables in NIS: DX1-DX30 and ECODE1-ECODE4 were used to extract the data. For analysis, multiple regression models were used to determine the association between ADEs and sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, race, comorbidities, and type of payer.

RESULTS: The average national incidence rate of ADEs during 2009-2014 was 44,824/year for anticoagulants, 8,493/year for diabetes agents, and 31,545/year for opioids. All of the sociodemographic variables were significantly associated with ADEs. However, the incidence rate varied based on these factors. For instance, the national incidence rate was higher in Medicare patients among the three medication classes. Also, it was consistently higher among patients who were 65 years old or older. Meanwhile, females had lower ADE rates due to anticoagulants and diabetes agents, and a higher one for opioid-related ADEs (19,450/year vs. 12,089/year). Regarding race, White patients had higher rates of ADEs among the three medication classes, with an average rate of 32,947/year, 4,720/year, and 22,782/year for anticoagulants, diabetes agents, and opioids, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The national rate of events of hospital ADEs was highly associated with patients’ sociodemographic factors. Prevention strategies should not be tailored based on medication-related factors only, but on patient-related factors as well.

GRANTS: This study was funded by an HPD grant from Nova Southeastern University.