Clinically Inconsequential Alerts: The Characteristics of Opioid Drug Alerts and Their Utility in Preventing Adverse Drug Events in the Emergency Department.

Study Objective: We examine the characteristics of clinical decision support alerts triggered when opioids are prescribed, including alert type, override rates, adverse drug events associated with opioids, and preventable adverse drug events.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review study assessing adverse drug event occurrences for emergency department (ED) visits in a large urban academic medical center using a commercial electronic health record system with clinical decision support. Participants include those aged 18 to 89 years who arrived to the ED every fifth day between September 2012 and January 2013.