ADRe – The Adverse Drug Reaction Profile tool (Swansea University)

Summary

Adverse drug reactions (known as ADRs) can occur both in the home, and within the healthcare setting, when combinations of medications produce unexpected side effects. Unfortunately this means that in the most serious cases fatalities can occur. However ADRe has helped all service users by addressing life-threatening problems, reducing pain or improving quality of life.

With preventable ADRs responsible for 5-8% unplanned hospital admissions in the UK, and costing the NHS up to £2.5bn pa, it is crucial that healthcare organisations take advantage of tools which can help improve how medicines are managed. ADRe has been developed with the aid of nursing professionals to help nursing staff take a structured approach to the monitoring of medicines, identifying any ADRs service users may be experiencing, and then making changes to improve a patients' health and wellbeing.

Content

ADRe is designed for use by nursing staff (NVQ level 3-5 or above), the professionals closest to patients. By using ADRe complex information on drugs is combined into a checklist providing advice on common problems. This helps nurses recognise and act on adverse drug reaction, including pain, dental pain, aggression, peptic ulcers, and sedation. In doing so, it greatly enhances the administration of medicines, and by capturing this individualised picture of the patients’ health and well-being prompts prescribers to refine dosages.

ADRe is very simple to use:

1. Nurses use the Profile to check and record problems that might be related to prescribed medicine.
2. Nurses solve some problems, e.g. dental pain, dehydration, by referrals or paying closer attention to intake.
3. Nurses share the completed ADRe Profile with prescribers (GPs or specialists), who decide prescriptions and doses.
4. Repeating the Profile one month later ensures no new issues have arisen.

You can request a copy of the full tool, or even try out part of our digital app by registering.