Using AI to reduce adverse drug events and other medication-related risks - MedCity News

As a rule, the more medications an individual patient takes, the greater the risk of suffering a negative side effect. Thus, there is a delicate balance between the clinical benefit of the medications, and the risk to harm as an aggregate, necessitating continuous evaluation of each medication, making sure harm does not outweigh the benefit. Yet, the hunger for medications in the U.S. is growing with no end in sight. In a Consumer Reports study conducted in 2017, while the US population had only increased by 21 percent over the past two decades, there is a shocking 85 percent increase in the number of filled prescriptions, with more than half of the US population on a prescription medication. A typical American is prescribed up to four medications on average, not including over-the-counter drugs, creating complex medication scenarios and increasing the likelihood of an ADEs.