In spite of considerable improvements to health care delivery, health information technology, and the availability of new medicines, adverse drug events (defined as harm experienced by a patient as a result of exposure to a medication) persistently and detrimentally affect patient safety and quality of life, in addition to affordability and quality of care provided throughout the United States. Since the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported more than a decade ago that roughly 770,000 injuries or deaths result annually from adverse drug events—as well as an estimated financial burden on US hospitals ranging between $1.6 and $5.6 billion annually—unfortunately, little has changed.
