Table 1.

Preventability of adverse medicine events associated with hospitalisation or admissions due to medication-related problems

		Total number of medicine-related problems or admissions	Percentage considered definitely avoidable	Percentage considered probably or possibly avoidable	Percentage considered probably not or definitely unavoidable
Titchen et al., 2005 [35]	Hospital Paediatric NSAID ADRs	25	36%
Easton et al., 2004 [36]	Paediatric admissions	81	46.9%		30.9%
Easton-Carter et al., 2003 [6]	Paediatric emergency department attendances	187	51.3%		36.9%
Chan et al., 2001 [37]	Geriatric admissions	73	53.4	23.3	23.3
Lau et al., 2004 [4]	Hospital Oncology ADRs	454	1.6%	46.1%	53.4%
Dartnell et al 1996 [38]	General admissions	55*	5%	60%	35%
Sarkawi et al, 1995 [39]	Medical admissions	35*	23%	46%	31%
Easton 1998 [40]	Paediatric admissions	48*+	#	67%	29%
Ng 1996 [41]	Geriatric admissions	31	3%	29%	68%

* – overdose excluded; # – category not used; + – 2 cases not assessable. ADRs = adverse drug reactions; NSAID = non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Note: estimates of adverse drug event preventability in the community from one study were 23% [9].