Health Informatics and Patient Safety in Pharmacotherapy

Abstract

Medication management is an essential part of patient safety. Problems related to prescribing, polypharmacy, and the interaction effects of drugs increase morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs worldwide. Patients’ knowledge of drug treatment could be improved in areas of the most common drug interactions and the general risks caused by drugs. The safety and effectiveness of medication for the elderly requires more effort especially in the area of high-risk medicines. Artificial intelligence–based decision support systems present new approaches for improving patient safety and medication management. However, before the full benefits of assistive technologies can be realized, these tools require proper validation.