ABSTRACT
In a follow-up IOM report, Preventing Medication Errors, released in July 2006, at least 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events were estimated to occur each year in the United States.2 According to this report, 380,000-450,000 preventable adverse drug events occur in hospital settings, 800,000 preventable adverse drug events take place in long-term-care facilities, and at least 530,000 preventable adverse drug events are estimated among outpatient Medicare patients in ambulatory care settings. Because these statistics are derived from voluntary reports, the actual number of adverse drug events is most likely underestimated.
