Prescribing Pattern of Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Obesity.

INTRODUCTION: There is limited efficacy and safety data for direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with obesity, and it has been suggested to avoid DOACs in this patient population. OBJECTIVE: Describe the prescribing pattern of oral anticoagulants in obese patients in an urban university setting and assess efficacy, safety, and adherence. METHODS: Retrospective, cohort study in patients ≥18 years with a history of VTE and/or atrial fibrillation. Patients with a BMI >40 kg/m2 and/or weight >120 kilograms and a prescription for warfarin or a DOAC from August 25, 2014 until August 25, 2017 are included. The primary outcome is the number of warfarin or DOAC prescriptions. Secondary outcomes include thromboembolism and bleeding events. Patient adherence was evaluated using time in therapeutic range (TTR), adherence rate to clinic appointments, and medication possession ratio (MPR). RESULTS: Of the 276 patients who met eligibility criteria, 158 (57.2%) were prescribed warfarin and 118 (42.8%) were prescribed a DOAC. There was no difference in the rate of stroke or recurrent VTE between groups (3.2% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.944). There was also no difference in the rate of bleeding between groups (16.1% vs. 17.8%, p = 0.707). The TTR for the warfarin group was 44.8 ± 23%, and appointment adherence was 78.6 ± 20%. The MPR for the DOAC group was 0.93 ± 0.24. CONCLUSIONS: Despite limited data in obese patients, DOACs are prescribed in this population. Results suggest no difference in safety and efficacy compared to warfarin, but barriers to quality anticoagulation may exist in this population.

Implementation of a Direct Oral Anticoagulation Screening Service at a Large Academic Medical Center Provided by a Pharmacist-managed Antithrombosis Clinic as a Method to Expand Antithrombotic Stewardship Efforts.

BACKGROUND: How and when to monitor direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) for safety and efficacy is a question many anticoagulation clinics are trying to answer. A pharmacist-led antithrombosis clinic (ATC) initiated a clinical service to provide oversight for all prescribed DOACs. OBJECTIVE: Describe the implementation and outcomes of a DOAC screening service. METHODS: The service was initiated utilizing a daily electronic prescribing report of DOAC prescriptions. Prescriptions were reviewed by clinical pharmacists to assess patient insurance, eligibility, and accuracy of prescribed doses. RESULTS: In the first year since service implementation in April 2016, 317 new prescriptions and 595 refill prescriptions were reviewed. A DOAC service pharmacist was able to reach 125 (39.4%) of 317 patients about their new prescription and 59 (9.9%) of 595 refill patients to provide education and follow-up on management as needed. Interventions were performed for 79 (28%) of 317 new prescriptions and 86 (14.5%) of 595 refill prescriptions. Common interventions with new prescriptions include contacting the prescriber for a medication or dose change (25.4%), assistance with medication access (21.5%), and coordinating appropriate lab and provider follow up (21.5%). Common interventions with refill prescriptions include recommending appropriate follow-up (50%) and contacting the prescriber for medication or dosage change (24.4%). CONCLUSION: Implementation of a DOAC screening service identified and resolved dosing errors, improved medication access, provided patient education, and improved follow-up.

Association between health literacy and 30-day healthcare use after hospital discharge in the heart failure population.

BACKGROUND: Low health literacy increases the risk for hospital readmissions. Despite this, the measurement and use of health literacy to guide discharge counseling and planning in heart failure patients is not commonly performed. A short 3-Question Brief Health Literacy Screen (BHLS) is available and takes less than three minutes to complete, but has never been evaluated to help determine whether health literacy affects healthcare use after discharge in patients with heart failure. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess 30-day readmissions and emergency department visits based on health literacy evaluated by the BHLS in an acute care heart failure population. METHODS: This was a prospective observational cohort study conducted at a large quaternary health system. Hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of heart failure were assessed for health literacy using the BHLS. Unplanned healthcare use after discharge including 30-day, all-cause ED visits and hospital readmissions was assessed using univariate and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty four patients aged 66.6 ± 14.3 (mean ± SD) years met inclusion/exclusion criteria of whom 175 (66.3%) had a BHLS score >9 (adequate health literacy) and 89 (33.7%) had a BHLS score ≤9 (low health literacy). Predictors of low health literacy included older age (p = 0.019), lower education level (p < 0.001) and unemployed (p = 0.048). After controlling for potential confounders, low health literacy was independently associated with 30-day healthcare use after hospital discharge (OR:1.80; 95% CI: 1.04-3.11; p = 0.035). CONCLUSION: Using a short, 3-question validated survey instrument, it was demonstrated that low health literacy was associated with increased 30-day unplanned healthcare use after discharge in this heart failure population. These results provide a clinically useful, easily incorporated tool that could identify high-risk patients at need for clinical interventions.

Direct Vasodilators and Sympatholytic Agents.

Direct vasodilators and sympatholytic agents were some of the first antihypertensive medications discovered and utilized in the past century. However, side effect profiles and the advent of newer antihypertensive drug classes have reduced the use of these agents in recent decades. Outcome data and large randomized trials supporting the efficacy of these medications are limited; however, in general the blood pressure-lowering effect of these agents has repeatedly been shown to be comparable to other more contemporary drug classes. Nevertheless, a landmark hypertension trial found a negative outcome with a doxazosin-based regimen compared to a chlorthalidone-based regimen, leading to the removal of α-1 adrenergic receptor blockers as first-line monotherapy from the hypertension guidelines. In contemporary practice, direct vasodilators and sympatholytic agents, particularly hydralazine and clonidine, are often utilized in refractory hypertension. Hydralazine and minoxidil may also be useful alternatives for patients with renal dysfunction, and both hydralazine and methyldopa are considered first line for the treatment of hypertension in pregnancy. Hydralazine has also found widespread use for the treatment of systolic heart failure in combination with isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN). The data to support use of this combination in African Americans with heart failure are particularly robust. Hydralazine with ISDN may also serve as an alternative for patients with an intolerance to angiotensin antagonists. Given these niche indications, vasodilators and sympatholytics are still useful in clinical practice; therefore, it is prudent to understand the existing data regarding efficacy and the safe use of these medications.

Comparative cost-effectiveness of alternative empiric antimicrobial treatment options for suspected enterococcal bacteremia.

OBJECTIVES: Enterococcus species are the fourth leading cause of bacteremia. Resistance rates are rising and delays in appropriate initial antimicrobial therapy have been associated with increased mortality. Empiric treatment of patients with suspected enterococcal bacteremia varies and significant cost differences exist between alternatives. The objective of this study was to determine the cost-effectiveness of various empiric treatments for patients with suspected enterococcal bacteremia. METHODS: A decision-analytic model was constructed from the hospital perspective to assess the cost-effectiveness of alternative empiric treatment options for enterococcal bacteremia, including antimicrobials active against vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE). The model was populated from available literature sources and included resistance patterns, associated mortality with early versus delayed effective treatment, and the cost of treatment. Univariate sensitivity analyses tested the robustness of the model to determine the degree to which model uncertainties influenced outcomes. We also undertook a probabilistic sensitivity analysis varying parameters in 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations. MAIN RESULTS: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $791 and $749/quality-adjusted-life-year utilizing empiric daptomycin and linezolid, respectively. The model also predicted an incremental cost/life saved of $11,703 by utilizing empiric daptomycin and $11,084 with linezolid utilization. Ampicillin was dominated (i.e., less effective and associated with increased costs) by both VRE-active agents and vancomycin. A probabilistic Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis showed that an agent with VRE activity had a 100% chance of being cost-effective at traditionally used willingness-to-pay thresholds. The decision-analytic model was sensitive to variations in E. faecium mortality and short-term postdischarge survival rates. CONCLUSION: Results of our model showed that empiric utilization of an antimicrobial with activity against VRE may be a cost-effective option for the treatment of suspected enterococcal bacteremia when compared with vancomycin or ß-lactam therapy.