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

Overridden opioid alerts did not result in adverse drug events. Clinical decision support successfully prevented adverse drug events at the expense of generating a large volume of inconsequential alerts. To prevent 1 adverse drug event, providers dealt with more than 123 unnecessary alerts. It is essential to refine clinical decision support alerting systems to eliminate inconsequential alerts to prevent alert fatigue and maintain patient safety.