Concordance analysis of two databases to search for potential drug interactions in onco-hematologic patients.

INTRODUCTION: Potential drug interactions exert a significant impact on patient safety, especially within intricate onco-hematological treatments, potentially resulting in toxicity or treatment failures. Despite the availability of databases for potential drug interaction investigation, persistent heterogeneity in concordance rates and classifications exists. The additional variability in database agreement poses further complexity, notably in critical contexts like onco-hematology. AIM: To analyze the concordance of two databases for researching potential drug interaction in prescriptions for hematological patients at a University Hospital in the Midwest region of Brazil. METHOD: Cross-sectional study developed in a Brazilian hospital. The search for potential drug interaction was conducted in Micromedex® and UpToDate®. The variables were: the presence of potential drug interaction, severity, mechanism, management, and documentation. Data was analyzed in terms of frequency (absolute and relative), Cohen's kappa, and Fleiss kappa. RESULTS: The presence of potential drug interaction, showed a lack of concordance between the databases (k = -0.115 [95% CI: 0.361-0.532], p = 0.003). Regarding the mechanism, a strong agreement was observed (k = 0.805, p < 0.001 [95% CI: 0.550-0.941]). The management concordance showed a fair agreement, 46.8% (k = 0.22, p < 0.001 [95% CI: 0.099-0.341]). Stratifying the categories, significant concordance was observed in "Adjustment of dose + Monitoring" (k = 0.302, p = 0.018) and "Monitoring" (k = 0.417, p = 0.001), while other categories did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Our study emphasizes the variability in potential drug interaction research, revealing disparities in severity classification, management recommendations, and documentation practices across databases.

Pharmaceutical intervention in the rational use of intravenous omeprazole.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the pharmaceutical interventions of a vertical clinical pharmacy service to promote the rational use of intravenous omeprazole. METHODS: A prospective and descriptive study carried out at a university hospital in the Midwestern Region of Brazil, from November 2014 to May 2015. The service consisted of the analysis of adequacy of the route of administration of omeprazole in relation to the clinical conditions of the patient, as well as the use of the appropriate diluent. Interventions were recorded in medical records and subsequently evaluated for acceptance. RESULTS: A total of 770 prescriptions were evaluated. Interventions related to diluent replacement were more accepted (p<0.001), and surgeons were the specialty that used the intravenous route inappropriately (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Although partially accepted, pharmaceutical interventions could contribute to improve patient safety, since they allowed the use of a safer route of administration.

Evaluation of a method for drug-related problems identification and classification in hospital setting: applicability and reliability.

Background Prescription evaluation by pharmacists has potential to improve pharmacotherapy management. It requires the use of robust methods to identify drug-related problems (DRP), which are important issues in pharmacotherapy. Objective To evaluate the applicability and reliability of Grupo de Investigação em Cuidados Farmacêuticos (GIGUF) method for prescription analysis, identification and classification of drug-related problems in inpatients prescriptions. Setting Department of Medical Clinic of a tertiary and teaching Brazilian hospital. Method An observational and retrospective study of identification and classification of drug-related problems. GIGUF method was used to evaluate prescriptions of hematological patients hospitalized between August and October 2015. The problems were categorized using GICUF-method classification. Three pharmacists performed inter-rater agreement analysis of the method using Kappa. Differences in prevalence of DRP was calculated by age, sex, pharmacotherapy complexity, length of stay and number of drugs. Main outcome measure (a) frequency and characteristics and (b) inter-rater agreement in identification and classification of the drug-related problems. Results A total of 211 problems were identified and 'inadequate dosing' was the most common problem. There was an association between the occurence of a drug-reklated problem and complexity of pharmacotherapy (p = 0.001) and number of drugs used (p = 0.010). The overall inter-rater agreement was moderate (k = 0.44 IC 95% 0.34-0.55) and the problem 'not suitable drug' (k = 0.55 IC 95% 0.44-0.66) had greater inter-rater agreement. Conclusion The method "Evaluation Drug Use Process" was useful for prescription analysis since it made the identification and classification of DRPs possible. The method demonstrated a moderate inter-rater agreement, and can contribute to pharmacotherapy management by hospital pharmacists.

Pharmaceutical intervention in the rational use of intravenous omeprazole / Intervenção farmacêutica no uso racional de omeprazol intravenoso

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the pharmaceutical interventions of a vertical clinical pharmacy service to promote the rational use of intravenous omeprazole. Methods: A prospective and descriptive study carried out at a university hospital in the Midwestern Region of Brazil, from November 2014 to May 2015. The service consisted of the analysis of adequacy of the route of administration of omeprazole in relation to the clinical conditions of the patient, as well as the use of the appropriate diluent. Interventions were recorded in medical records and subsequently evaluated for acceptance. Results: A total of 770 prescriptions were evaluated. Interventions related to diluent replacement were more accepted (p<0.001), and surgeons were the specialty that used the intravenous route inappropriately (p<0.001). Conclusion: Although partially accepted, pharmaceutical interventions could contribute to improve patient safety, since they allowed the use of a safer route of administration.

RESUMO Objetivo: Descrever as intervenções farmacêuticas de um serviço farmacêutico clínico vertical, para a promoção do uso racional do omeprazol intravenoso. Métodos: Estudo prospectivo e descritivo realizado em um hospital universitário da região Centro-Oeste do Brasil, no período de novembro de 2014 a maio de 2015. O serviço consistia na análise da adequabilidade da via de administração do omeprazol em relação às condições clínicas do paciente, bem como a utilização do diluente adequado. As intervenções eram registradas em prontuário e, posteriormente, avaliadas quanto à aceitação. Resultados: Foram avaliadas 770 prescrições. As intervenções relacionadas à substituição do diluente foram mais aceitas (p<0,001), e os cirurgiões foram a especialidade que utilizou a via intravenosa de maneira inadequada (p<0,001). Conclusão: Embora parcialmente aceitas, as intervenções farmacêuticas puderam contribuir com a melhoria da segurança dos pacientes, uma vez que permitiram a utilização de uma via de administração mais segura.

Impact of a drug dispensing model at a Community Pharmacy in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil

Although dispensing of medication has been addressed by theoretical models, studies that confirm the impact of this service are still needed. The objective was to evaluate the impact of a new model of medicine dispensing system on patients' medication knowledge, adherence to treatment and satisfaction. One hundred and four patients attending the dispensing service of a community pharmacy between 21 January 2013 and 20 April 2013 were included in this intervention study. The impact of the service on patients' medication knowledge, adherence to treatment and satisfaction was assessed by using validated questionnaires at two time points: at the moment of medication dispensing and 30 days thereafter by telephone contact. Statistical analysis was performed by McNemar's test, and a p<0.05 was set as statistically significant. The number of patients showing insufficient knowledge about medications decreased by 50% (p < 0.05), and the number of those showing sufficient knowledge was three times greater (p < 0.05) after medicine dispensing. A high level of satisfaction was observed. Improvement of medication adherence, however, was not observed. The proposed system model for drug dispensing improved patients' knowledge about medication and satisfaction

Reações Adversas a Medicamentos e Farmacovigilância: Conhecimentos e Condutas de Profissionais de Saúde de um Hospital da Rede Sentinela / Pharmacovigilance: Professional Knowledge and Conduct at a Teaching Hospital

RESUMO Introdução As reações adversas a medicamentos são objeto de estudo da farmacovigilância, ciência que utiliza, sobretudo, as notificações espontâneas feitas por profissionais de saúde. Há dificuldade de reconhecimento dos profissionais quanto a sua importância na segurança do paciente. As causas da subnotificação são atribuídas a falta de conhecimentos, percepção e compreensão dos incidentes. Objetivo Identificar o conhecimento e as condutas dos profissionais de saúde de um hospital de ensino em relação às reações adversas a medicamentos e à farmacovigilância e se há associação com o seu perfil profissiográfico. Métodos Estudo transversal, utilizando-se um instrumento validado que aborda questões sobre caracterização da população estudada, conhecimentos e condutas. Resultados Os médicos demonstraram maior conhecimento sobre reações adversas a medicamentos, e os técnicos em enfermagem, menor. No entanto, o entendimento sobre farmacovigilância foi maior entre os farmacêuticos. O tempo de formação e atuação na instituição está associado ao conhecimento sobre as reações adversas a medicamentos Conclusão: Os resultados deste estudo evidenciaram que a formação do profissional influencia seu conhecimento e condutas frente às reações adversas a medicamentos.

ABSTRACT Introduction Adverse Drug Reactions are studied by the science of pharmacovigilance, which makes particular use of spontaneous reports made by health professionals, although such professionals experience difficulties in recognizing adverse reactions and their importance in patient safety. The causes of underreporting are attributed to a lack of knowledge, awareness and understanding of incidents. Objective Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated instrument in order to characterize the population under study, determining its knowledge and behaviors Results: Doctors demonstrated a greater knowledge of adverse drug reactions than nursing technicians; however an understanding of pharmacovigilance was higher among pharmacists. The length of time spent in training and working in an institution were also associated with a knowledge of adverse drug reactions Conclusion The results of this study show that professional training influences knowledge and behaviors on adverse drug reactions.

Medication adherence in patients in treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus in a university hospital in Brazil.

Medication adherence is essential for the control of symptoms and progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of the study was to investigate medication adherence in outpatients in treatment for RA and SLE in a university hospital in Brazil. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional analytical study. A total of 92 patients (55 RA patients and 37 SLE patients) were included in the study. A structured questionnaire for patients' interview and a form for collecting data from medical records were used for data collection. Adherence to drug treatment was assessed by the Morisky scale questionnaire. Data storage and analysis were performed using Epi Info 3.5.4 and statistical analysis by Stata/SE 12.0. The Pearson's chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were applied for statistical and bivariate analyses. For multivariate data analysis the Poisson regression and the Wald test were used. The prevalence of adherence to drug treatment was 16.4% in RA patients and 45.9% in SLE patients. The final model of the multivariate analysis demonstrated associations between medication adherence and the following covariates for both RA and SLE groups: duration of therapy for rheumatic disease at the institution greater than 15 years and presence of more than six chronic comorbidities. The parameter "acquisition of medication at the high-cost pharmacy" was differently associated with medication adherence by group, and for the SLE group, living outside the city of Goiânia was a protective factor associated with adherence. This study demonstrated a low prevalence of medication adherence in patients in treatment for RA and SLE treated at this institution. These findings will serve as a base for future studies to elucidate what factors may positively or negatively affect medication adherence in this population. In addition, multidisciplinary approaches are needed to enhance adherence to drug treatment in patients in treatment for rheumatic disease.

Medication dispensing as an opportunity for patient counseling and approach to drug-related problems

ABSTRACT The objective was to describe and evaluate a model of drug dispensing developed and implemented in a community pharmacy in Brazil. This was a descriptive, observational, quasi-experimental study performed in the period between 21 January 2013 and 20 April 2013. The model was evaluated and described in terms of three parameters: structure, process and outcome. The description and assessment of each parameter was performed as follows: (I) Structure: profile of patients, pharmacist's professional profile, physical facility, informational material; (II) Process: drug-related problems, pharmaceutical interventions performed, results of pharmaceutical interventions; (III) Outcome: patient knowledge of medications. Dispensing service improved patient knowledge of medications (p < 0.05), which was associated with pharmacotherapy complexity (p < 0.05). The main problems identified were related to lack of patient knowledge regarding their medication (52.9%). Pharmaceutical interventions were mostly performed directly to the patients (86.3%) by verbal (95.4%) and written (68.2%) information, and most of the problems were completely solved (62.7%). The medicine dispensing model was able to identify and solve drug-related problems and promote an improvement in patient knowledge about medication.

RESUMO O objetivo foi descrever e avaliar um modelo de serviço de dispensação de medicamentos desenvolvido e implantado em uma Farmácia Comunitária no Brasil. Trata-se de restudo descritivo, observacional e quase-experimental, realizado no período de 21 de janeiro a 20 de abril de 2013. A descrição e avaliação do modelo foi realizada segundo os parâmetros: estrutura, processo e resultado.Os aspectos descritos e avaliados foram: 1. Estrutura: perfil dos pacientes, perfil profissiográfico dos farmacêuticos, estrutura física, material de informação; 2. Processo: problemas relacionados ao medicamento detectados, intervenções farmacêuticas realizadas, resultados das intervenções farmacêuticas; 3. Resultado: conhecimento do pacientes sobre os medicamentos utilizados. A dispensação proporcionou melhora do conhecimento do paciente sobre os medicamentos (p < 0,05), que demonstrou-se associada à complexidade da farmacoterapia (p < 0,05). Foram identificados majoritariamente problemas relacionados à falta de condições do paciente em utilizar o medicamento (52,94%). As intervenções farmacêuticas foram realizadas predominantemente junto ao paciente (86,27%) através do fornecimento de informações verbais (95,4%) e escritas (68,2%) e, em sua maioria, o problema que originou a intervenção foi totalmente resolvido (62,75%).O serviço foi capaz de identificar e resolver os problemas relacionados ao medicamento e contribuiu para a melhoria do conhecimento dos pacientes relativo aos medicamentos utilizados.

Avaliação do seguimento de mulheres com exames citopatológicosalterados de acordo com as condutas preconizadas pelo Ministério da Saúde do Brasil em Goiânia, Goiás / Follow-up Evaluation of Women with Abnormal Cytopathological Tests According to the Procedures Recommended by the Ministry of Health of Brazil in Goiania city, State of Goias / Evaluación de Seguimiento de Mujeres con Exámenes Citopatológicos Alteradosde acuerdo a las Conductas Recomendadas por el Ministerio de Salud de Brasilen la Ciudad de Goiania, Estado de Goias

Introdução: O adequado seguimento para mulheres com exames citopatológicos alterados é importante para o tratamento das lesões precursoras em sua fase inicial. Objetivo: Avaliar se as mulheres atendidas nas Unidades de Atenção Básica com exames citopatológicos alterados foram submetidas adequadamente às condutas preconizadas pelo Ministério da Saúde. Método: O estudo analisou 12.208 resultados de exames citopatológicos de mulheres atendidas nas Unidades de Atenção Básica à Saúde em Goiânia, no período de 2006 a 2008, através dos prontuários das Unidades de Atenção Básica e Média Complexidade. O programa Epi-info 3.5.1 foi utilizado para análise dos dados. Resultados:Dos 12.208 resultados analisados, 90,74% foram classificados como negativos, 1,88% como insatisfatórios, 4,74% como lesões menos graves, e 2,43% como lesões de média gravidade. Do total de 579 mulheres com exames citopatológicos classificados como células escamosas atípicas de significado indeterminado, possivelmente não neoplásicas/lesãointraepitelial de baixo grau, 41,62% realizaram citopatologia de seguimento, 14,85% e 10,19% realizaram colposcopia e biópsia, respectivamente. Das 297 mulheres com resultados citopatológicos classificados como células escamosas atípicas de significado indeterminado, não se pode excluir lesão de alto grau/lesão intraepitelial de alto grau, 42,76%realizaram citopatologia de seguimento, 35,02% e 28,96% realizaram colposcopia e biópsia, respectivamente. Das 24 mulheres com resultado citopatológico classificado como células glandulares atípicas/adenocarcinoma invasor, 20,83% realizaram citopatologia de seguimento, e 16,67% e 12,50% das mulheres realizaram colposcopia e biópsia, respectivamente. Conclusão: A maioria das mulheres com exames citopatológicos alterados possivelmente não foi submetida às condutas preconizadas conforme as recomendações do Ministério da Saúde

Capacitação do agente comunitário de saúde visando reorganização do rastreamento do câncer do colo do útero / Training of community health agent seeking reorganization of the uterine cervical cancer screening

O componente mais importante da atenção primária para prevenção do câncer do colo do útero é a alta cobertura da população alvo. Nosso cenário, no entanto, é de excessos de controles num percentual pequeno das mulheres-alvo. Nas regiões onde a Estratégia Saúde da Família foi implantada, há um cenário favorável à reorganização do rastreamento do câncer do colo do útero. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a aquisição de conhecimento de Agentes Comunitários de Saúde após capacitação acerca da prevenção do câncer do colo do útero. Após a capacitação, houve melhora significativa do conhecimento dos Agentes Comunitários de Saúde sobre a finalidade do exame citopatológico, condições ideais para realização, agente causador e fatores de risco para o câncer do colo do útero e sobre os resultados dos exames citopatológicos (p < 0,05). Não houve melhora do conhecimento sobre a população alvo e a periodicidade correta de realização do exame citopatológico.

The most important component of primary prevention of uterine cervical cancer is the high coverage of target population, however, our scenario is in excess of controls in a small percentage of women target. In regions where the Family Health Strategy was implemented there is a favorable scenario for the reorganization of screening for uterine cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acquisition of knowledge of Community Health Workers after training on the prevention of uterine cervical cancer. After the training significantly improved the knowledge of Community Health Agents about the purpose of Pap smear testing, ideal conditions for realization, the causative agent and risk factors for uterine cervical cancer and the results of cervical screening (p <0, 05). There was no improvement of knowledge about the target population and the frequency of correct implementation of the Pap test.