Adverse drug reactions and drug-related problems with supportive care medications among the oncological population.

AIM: The current study emphasizes the impact of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and Drug-Related Problems (DRPs) caused by supportive care medications administered with chemotherapy. METHOD: This is a longitudinal observational study carried out at the Ramaiah Medical College Hospital in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, at the Department of Oncology. The data was recorded using a specifically created data collecting form. Based on the PCNE (Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe), DRPs are identified. The WHO probability scale, Modified Hartwig and Siegel for ADR severity assessment, Naranjo's algorithm for causality assessment, Rawlins and Thompson for predictability assessment, and Modified Shumock and Thornton for preventability assessment were all utilized. The OncPal guideline was considered in terms of the precision of supportive care medications regarding the reduction of ADRs in cancer patients. RESULT: We enrolled 302 patients,166 (55%) female and 136 (45%) male (SD 14.378) (mean 49.97), patients with one comorbidity 59(19.6%) and multimorbidity (two or more) 45(14.9%), the DRPs identified were found to be 153 (50.6%); only P2 (safeties of drug therapy PCNE) were considered in this study. ADRs which are identified 175(57.9%) contributed/caused by the supportive care medications. WHO probability scale: 97 (32.1%) possible and 60 (19.9%) unlikely; Naranjo's algorithm: 97 (32.1%) unlikely and 69 (22.8%) possible; ADR severity assessment scale (Modified Hartwig and Siegel): 95 (31.5%) mild and 63 (20.9%) moderates; Rawlins and Thompson for determining predictability of an ADR: 33 (10.9%) predictable and 137 (45.5%) non-predictable; and Modified Shumock and Thornton for determining preventability of an ADR: 81 (26.8%) probably preventable and 90 (29.8%) non-preventable. The statistical comparison through preforming t-test and measuring Chi-Square between group with ADRs and without ADRs shows in some variables, significantly (Alcohol consumption status, P = .019) and Easter Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status P < 0.001. CONCLUSION: Comprehensive assessment of supportive medications in cancer patients would enhance the patient management and therapeutic outcome. The potential adverse drug reactions (ADRs) caused by supportive care medications can contribute to longer hospital stays and interact with the systemic anti-cancer treatment. The health care professionals should be informed to monitor the patients clinically administered with supportive medications.

The prevalence of chronic medication therapy problems and pharmacists' interventions among hospitalized perioperative patients: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Inadequate preoperative management of chronic medications can place perioperative patients at risk and cause unnecessary delays in surgical procedures. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of chronic medication therapy problems (CMTPs) in hospitalized perioperative patients and assess the relevance of pharmacists' interventions. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of pharmacist-led preoperative management of chronic medications in hospitalized adult patients from November 2018 to April 2019. The recorded drug-related problems (DRPs) were retrospectively reviewed and categorized according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe classification V9.1 and were analyzed with a multinomial regression model to identify risk factors. RESULTS: A total of 254 DRPs were recorded, with an average of 0.52 DRPs per patient. Treatment safety (66.9%) was the most common DRP. The most frequent causes of perioperative DRPs and nonperioperative DRPs were drug selection (72.9%) and patient related (50.8%), respectively. Of the 292 documented interventions, 71.6% were fully accepted by the clinicians and patients. The majority (68.9%) of the recorded problems were completely resolved. The number of comorbidities (OR = 3.815) and the number of chronic medications taken (OR = 1.539) were risk factors for the occurrence of DRPs. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that pharmacist-led chronic medication therapy management in surgical wards may be an effective method to help reduce medication-related surgical risks and optimize the medication therapies used for the long-term treatment of chronic diseases.

Application of comprehensive pharmaceutical care program in identifying and addressing drug-related problems in hospitalized patients with osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: More information about the impacts of comprehensive pharmaceutical care program (CPCP) on the identification and resolution of drug-related problems (DRPs) is needed. This study aimed at researching the characteristics of DRPs in osteoporosis patients and evaluating the effect of CPCP in identifying and addressing DRPs. METHODS: We performed a prospective interventional study in a teaching hospital. CPCP was established and conducted to identify and resolve DRPs by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) based on the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) classification V9.0. Six pharmacists and one doctor worked directly in the study. All data was obtained from electronic medical records, direct observation and visits. The statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS Statistics software version 26.0. RESULTS: Two hundred nineteen patients with osteoporosis were included in the final analysis. A total of 343 DRPs were identified, with an average of 1.57 DRPs per patient. The most common DRPs identified were "treatment safety P2" (66.8%; 229/343), followed by "other P3" (21.0%; 72/343) and "treatment effectiveness, P1" (12.2%; 42/343). The primary causes of DRPs were "dose selection C3" (35.9%; 211/588), followed by "drug use process C6" (28.9%; 170/588) and "drug selection C1" (12.6%; 74/588). Seven hundred eleven interventions were proposed to address the 343 DRPs, with an average of 2.1 interventions per DRP. The acceptance rate reached 95.9, and 91.0% of these accepted interventions were fully implemented. As a result, only 30 DRPs were unsolved before discharge. Additionally, the number of drugs was found to be associated with the number of DRPs significantly (p = 0.023). CONCLUSION: DRPs frequently occurred in hospitalized osteoporosis patients. CPCP could be an effect option to solve and reduce DRPs for osteoporosis patients and should be implemented widely to increase patient safety.

Evaluation of pharmacists' interventions on drug-related problems and drug costs in patients with cancer pain.

BACKGROUND: Drug-related problems (DRPs) prevent patients from fully benefiting from drug treatment. Unrelieved pain in patients with cancer is still widespread. Pharmacists can play a role in closely monitoring cancer patients, pain control maintenance, and patient consultation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effects and changes in drug costs of pharmacists' interventions on patients with DRPs related to cancer pain. SETTING: An academic teaching hospital in Shanghai, China. METHODS: Patients with cancer pain admitted to Shanghai Tongren Hospital from October 2018 to February 2019 were randomized into the intervention and control groups. The Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe classification V8.02 was used to categorize DRPs treated with analgesics. Patients' pain relief, the occurrence of adverse drug reactions, and drug cost-saving through the resolution of DRPs were evaluated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Problems and causes of drug-related problems, interventions proposed, and outcome of pharmacy recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 172 patients were enrolled and randomized into the intervention group (n = 86) and the control group (n = 86). The pharmacist detected 66 DRPs in 48 patients (55.8%) of the intervention group, an average of 0.8 DRPs per patient. A total of 149 interventions were proposed by the pharmacist. Compared to the control group, the drug intervention produced more pain relief on the third day of analgesic treatment. In the intervention group, a total of 33 DRP interventions resulted in cost changes, saving a drug cost of $489.90, averaging $11.94 per intervention. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that pharmacy service in patients with cancer pain can resolve drug-related problems and reduce drug costs.

Characteristics of drug-related problems among hospitalized ischemic stroke patients in China.

Background Patients with ischemic stroke are often taking multiple medications and are at increased risk for drug-related problems (DRPs). However, the prevalence and nature of DRPs in these patients in China and the impact of pharmacist interventions to resolve DRPs in this population are unknown. Objective To investigate the prevalence and nature of DRPs in ischemic stroke patients. Setting A neurology ward at an academic teaching hospital in Shanghai, China. Methods This was a prospective observational study conducted from September to November 2017. A total of 274 ischemic stroke adult patients were included. Pharmacists provided pharmaceutical care activities in the multi-disciplinary team. DRPs were categorized by the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe classification V8.0. Main outcome measure The number, types, and causes of DRPs. Results We identified 88 DRPs related to 89 causes, an average rate of 0.32 DRP per patient. The rates of DRPs were higher in patients with renal impairment (0.91), liver impairment (0.65), or patients younger than 60 years (0.39). The primary cause of the DRPs was drug selection (66.3%), and the most common problem was treatment safety (60.2%). Among the top medications associated with DRPs were proton pump inhibitors (17.2%) followed by cerebrovascular/nootropics (16.1%) and sedative-hypnotics (13.9%). The acceptance rate of pharmacists' inventions reached 94.0%, and 90.0% of these accepted inventions were fully implemented (DRP status solved). Conclusion Drug-related problems are relatively common in hospitalized ischemic stroke patients in China, and treatment safety is the major DRP type. Pharmacist intervention can identify and resolve pertinent DRPs to optimize medication therapy.

Identify and categorize drug-related problems in hospitalized surgical patients in China.

Background Data is lacking on types and severities of drug-related problems (DRPs) in hospitalized surgical patients in China. Objective To identify and categorize types and causes of DRPs, and to assess severities of these DRPs. Setting An academic teaching hospital in Chongqing, China. Method We retrospectively reviewed all medication orders for patients in six surgical departments during a six-month period. DRPs were classified using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) classification, and the severity ratings of these DRPs were based on the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCCMERP) classification. Main outcome measure The number, types, causes and severities of the DRPs. Results A total of 291,944 medication orders in 10,643 patients were reviewed, and 3548 DRPs were identified. The average DRP number per patient was 0.3. The most common problem was treatment effectiveness (39.9%) and the major cause of the problems was dose selection (47.0%). Total 80.1% of the DRPs were rated at severity categories B to D (causing no or potential harm), whereas 19.9% were rated as categories E to H (causing actual harm). Conclusion DRPs are common in surgical patients, and prospective pharmacist medication order review services are needed to improve patients' pharmaceutical care.

Pharmacists Intervention Reduced Drug-Related Problems in the Treatment of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) remains as a global public health problem, including Indonesia due to its continuous increasing prevalence. AIM: To analyze the impact of pharmacist intervention on drug-related problems (DRPs) occurred in the management of patients with T2DM admitted to Tebing Tinggi Hospital (TTH), Indonesia, period March through August 2018. METHODS: This six-month retrospective prospective cohort study evaluated the impact of pharmacist intervention on the occurrence of DRPs in the management of patients with T2DM (n = 45) insured by Social Security Organizing Body in TTH, North Sumatera, Indonesia. The inclusion criteria were T2DM patients with age ≥ 18 years and under treatment of antidiabetic drugs. A questionnaire was used to assess the characteristics of the patients and antidiabetic drugs provided. The incidence of DRPs in groups with usual care for the previous three-month and with pharmacist interventions for the next three-month admissions were analyzed using Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) DRP classification system version 8.01 that consists of 3 primary domains for problems, 8 primary domains for causes, and 5 primary domains (PCNE, 2017) and trustable literatures. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t test in the program of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19 (p < 0.05 was considered significant). RESULTS: Most (66.7%) of the patients were female. Their mean age was 61.96 ± 6.45 (years). The three most widely provided drugs were metformin, glimepirid, and gliclazide. Total incidence of DRPs in groups with: usual care, 128; intervention, 39. There was a significant difference between the incidence of DRPs in groups with usual care and intervention, p ≤ 0.001. CONCLUSION: Pharmacist intervention reduced the incidence of DRPs in the management of T2DM patients.

Appropriateness of antibiotic usage for gastrointestinal disorders in a tertiary care hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To assess antibiotic usage in gastrointestinal disorders with respect to appropriateness, pattern of resistance, and incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). METHODOLOGY: Antibiotic prescribing in the gastroenterology department of a tertiary care hospital was evaluated using the Gyssens criteria and also by assessing drug related problems (DRPs) using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe V.6.2. A total of 173 patients were studied prospectively by a team of clinical pharmacists. Antibiotic susceptibility was prospectively studied; in addition, retrospective data on culture and sensitivity reports of commonly isolated organisms from 1 October 2012 to 30 September 2014 were collected to determine the resistance pattern in previous years. ADRs were evaluated using the Naranjo scale. RESULTS: Antibiotic therapy was appropriate in 60% of patients and inappropriate in the remaining patients due to incorrect decision, choice, and use. A total of 184 DRPs and 30 ADRs of antibiotics were identified. In the study patients, the most commonly isolated organism was Escherichia coli (27.3%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.7%). Both E coli and K pneumoniae exhibited 100% resistance towards cefotaxime. There was an increase in the resistance of E coli and K pneumoniae against various antibiotics tested in 2013-2014 as compared to the previous year. An empirical antibiotic policy was developed which was endorsed by the gastroenterology department. CONCLUSIONS: Although antibiotic therapy was appropriate in the majority of patients, irrational use occurred due to incorrect choice, improper dosage, and improper duration of therapy. E coli and K pneumoniae isolates showed an increase in resistance towards various antibiotics tested.

Impact of medication and psychological behaviour assessment by community pharmacists in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients after hospital stay.

BACKGROUND: Drug related problem (DRPs) is a key factor which will affect the outcome of therapy and safety. OBJECTIVE: To assess the DRPs in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and psychological aspects of patients by community pharmacists to observe the rate of DRP. METHODS: Prospective randomized controlled intervention study involved T2DM patients and conducted in two community pharmacies at Kanpur from January 2012 to December 2012. The assessment of DRPs was based on the PCNE. Changes in glycosylated hemoglobin (HBA1c), low density lipoproteins (LDL), blood pressure(BP), foot examinations, changes medical and medication utilization were studied. Using as control group, received usual care, and interventional group provided, intervened with use of the standard treatment guidelines (STG). Researcher provided the knowledge to community pharmacists and patients. Baseline and interventional data were collected at 0,3,6,9 and 12 months. RESULTS: Over the 12 month study, participants' average HBA1C reduced from 8.9% at initial visit to 7.5%. During this time, the eye examination rate was raised from 31% to 48%, and the foot examination rate was raised from 35% to 50%. CONCLUSION: The intervention of pharmacists showed little influence on any of the intermediate health outcomes in T2DM.