United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2002-09-27 monographic deposited born digital 37 p. GA 1.13:GAO-02-1017 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-1017 P0b002ee18038816b f:d021017 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-1017 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-1017 GAO-02-1017 Drugs Health hazards Interagency relations Joint ventures Medical information systems Medical records Patient care services Pharmaceutical industry DOD Composite Health Care System DOD Pharmacy Data Transaction Service VA Computerized Patient Record System VA Veterans Integrated Service Network Other Written Product A05178

Adverse drug events, which include adverse drug reactions and preventable medication errors, have gained national attention in recent years. The risk of medication errors is an important issue for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) because their large beneficiary populations receive many prescriptions. Each agency has recognized the significance of medication errors and has instituted practices to reduce them, such as making patients' medical records more accessible to providers and performing checks for drug interactions. Although each agency designed safeguards to protect its own patients, certain VA and DOD patients receive medication from both agencies. Shared patients face an increased risk of medication errors. Joint (DOD and VA) venture sites with inpatient facilities provide services to shared inpatients in the same manner as they do for their own beneficiaries, that is, medications are ordered using the facility's guidelines and filled through the inpatient pharmacy at that facility. Gaps in safeguards result primarily from VA's and DOD's separate, uncoordinated information and formulary systems. Joint venture sites have taken steps to address some of these safety gaps. For instance, all sites have made patient information more accessible by providing additional, although incomplete, access to the other agency's patient information system. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-1017/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-1017.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-1017/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-1017.pdf GAO-02-1017 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-1017 Other Written Product GAO-02-1017; VA and Defense Health Care: Increased Risk of Medication Errors for Shared Patients; Drugs Health hazards Interagency relations Joint ventures Medical information systems Medical records Patient care services Pharmaceutical industry DOD Composite Health Care System DOD Pharmacy Data Transaction Service VA Computerized Patient Record System VA Veterans Integrated Service Network Title 10 Section 1074g 10 U.S.C. 1074g Volume 96 Page 70 96 Stat. 70 Volume 110 Page 3177 110 Stat. 3177 Volume 113 Page 512 113 Stat. 512 Volume 114 Page 1654 114 Stat. 1654 Public Law 97-174 Public Law 104-262 Public Law 106-65 Public Law 106-398