Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can occur even when medications are prescribed and administered correctly, yet reporting has historically varied across Mayo Clinic campuses, limiting opportunities to identify enterprise-wide trends and improve patient safety. In this episode of Key in to Quality, a multidisciplinary team representing pharmacy, nursing, patient safety, quality, analytics and regional stakeholders shares how they developed a standardized, enterprise-wide approach to ADR reporting and evaluation.
After reviewing existing safety processes, FDA MedWatch standards and frontline feedback, the team created a five-level ADR severity scale focused on patient outcomes rather than medication errors. The scale was integrated into Mayo Clinic's electronic patient safety reporting system and paired with enterprise dashboards that enable standardized reporting, trend analysis and organizational learning.
Since implementation, the framework has improved reporting consistency, strengthened FDA reporting and enhanced the ability to identify system-level safety opportunities. Validation showed users applied the scale with more than 85% agreement compared with expert review, demonstrating how standardized reporting, multidisciplinary collaboration and enterprise data can transform individual adverse drug reactions into actionable insights that improve medication safety across the organization.
Guests:
Leah Ward, Pharm.D., Assistance Director of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic Florida
Jake Noble, Pharm.D., Senior Manager, Pharmacy Operations, Mayo Clinic Rochester
Merissa Andersen Pinotti, Pharm.D., Medication Safety Officer, Mayo Clinic Rochester
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to Adverse Drug Reactions
2:03 Meet the Medication Safety Team
5:43 Identifying the Need for Change
7:25 Building Cross-Campus Collaboration
9:07 Residency Project and Key Challenges
12:14 Understanding Adverse Reaction Grading
14:21 Medication Events Versus Drug Reactions
20:14 Implementing the New ADR System
23:50 Benefits for Staff and Patients
26:02 Future Medication Safety Initiatives
27:40 Advice for Healthcare Organizations
29:24 Key Lessons and Closing Reflections
Listen to our audio podcast at: mayo-clinic-key-in-to-quality.simplecast.com/episodes/beyond-medication-errors-a-new-approach-to-adverse-drug-reaction-safety
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Visit Mayo Clinic:
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Connect with Mayo Clinic:
Facebook: facebook.com/mayoclinic
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Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can occur even when medications are prescribed and administered correctly, yet reporting has historically varied across Mayo Clinic campuses, limiting opportunities to identify enterprise-wide trends and improve patient safety. In this episode of Key in to Quality, a multidisciplinary team representing pharmacy, nursing, patient safety, quality, analytics and regional stakeholders shares how they developed a standardized, enterprise-wide approach to ADR reporting and evaluation.
After reviewing existing safety processes, FDA MedWatch standards and frontline feedback, the team created a five-level ADR severity scale focused on patient outcomes rather than medication errors. The scale was integrated into Mayo Clinic's electronic patient safety reporting system and paired with enterprise dashboards that enable standardized reporting, trend analysis and organizational learning.
Since implementation, the framework has improved reporting consistency, strengthened FDA reporting and enhanced the ability to identify system-level safety opportunities. Validation showed users applied the scale with more than 85% agreement compared with expert review, demonstrating how standardized reporting, multidisciplinary collaboration and enterprise data can transform individual adverse drug reactions into actionable insights that improve medication safety across the organization.
Guests:
Leah Ward, Pharm.D., Assistance Director of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic Florida
Jake Noble, Pharm.D., Senior Manager, Pharmacy Operations, Mayo Clinic Rochester
Merissa Andersen Pinotti, Pharm.D., Medication Safety Officer, Mayo Clinic Rochester
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to Adverse Drug Reactions
2:03 Meet the Medication Safety Team
5:43 Identifying the Need for Change
7:25 Building Cross-Campus Collaboration
9:07 Residency Project and Key Challenges
12:14 Understanding Adverse Reaction Grading
14:21 Medication Events Versus Drug Reactions
20:14 Implementing the New ADR System
23:50 Benefits for Staff and Patients
26:02 Future Medication Safety Initiatives
27:40 Advice for Healthcare Organizations
29:24 Key Lessons and Closing Reflections
Listen to our audio podcast at: mayo-clinic-key-in-to-quality.simplecast.com/episodes/beyond-medication-errors-a-new-approach-to-adverse-drug-reaction-safety
From Mayo Clinic to your inbox (free):
mayocl.in/3e71zfi
Visit Mayo Clinic:
mayocl.in/2COVmlm
Connect with Mayo Clinic:
Facebook: facebook.com/mayoclinic
Instagram: instagram.com/mayoclinic
X: https://x.com/MayoClinic
Threads: threads.net/@mayoclinic
