Inappropriate opioid prescribing increases risk of patient harm and misuse. In this retrospective study, researchers examined pharmacy claims data on Georgia Medicaid patients without cancer who were prescribed opioids. They found a higher odds of death among opioid users with at least a single incidence of inappropriate opioid prescribing compared to opioid users who did not experience inappropriate prescribing.

In this analysis of responses to the AHRQ Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, pharmacists who perceived a culture conducive to open communication were more likely to voluntarily report medication errors.

The researchers retrospectively studied a nationally representative cohort of noninstitutionalized elderly and found that inappropriate medication use in this population occurs often and contributes to increased health care expenditures.